What Our SRF 2025 Research Tells Us About Considering Egg Freezing
Last year Egg Advisor presented research at the Society of Reproduction and Fertility (SRF) that puts some numbers to it. The work was led by Dr Valerie Shaikly (Chief Egg Advisor), alongside Alexandra Draycott (Chief Egg Officer) and Ruth O’Dwyer (Egg Advisor), and it focused on a stage of the journey that has been largely overlooked: the consideration phase, before any clinic appointment is booked.
A quick note on the research
Our study was a self‑selected, anonymous online survey of 35 women across the UK, US and UAE who were actively considering elective egg freezing. The sample is small and we have been clear in our published abstract that further research with a larger group is needed to validate these findings. We share the numbers because, even at this scale, they line up closely with what women tell us in 1:1 conversations every week, and with what wider UK and international studies have reported for years.
Why women are considering egg freezing
The most striking thing about our results was how consistent women were about why they were considering egg freezing.
97% said the main reason was concern about age‑related fertility decline.
Just 3% were motivated by an existing fertility issue.
23% also said they were not yet ready to start a family.
This matters. Egg freezing is often spoken about as if it were a treatment for infertility. For most women considering it, it is not. It is a preventative decision, an attempt to keep options open while life takes longer than expected to line up.
In other words: more women than ever are making this decision, and most are doing so as a way of managing time not treating illness.
How women feel about it
Here is where the picture gets more complicated. Women considering egg freezing told us they felt:
Optimistic — 70%
Overwhelmed — 84%
Uncertain — 88%
Confused — 55%
These numbers do not contradict each other. You can be hopeful about the option and still feel completely out of your depth working through it. That is the reality for most women we speak to.
If the public conversation about egg freezing tends to skew towards “empowerment” and “taking control,” our findings suggest something more honest is needed. The decision can feel empowering and heavy at the same time.
What women feel they don’t know
Despite being actively engaged in considering egg freezing, and in many cases having already done plenty of their own research, women in our study reported real gaps in their understanding:
71% felt they did not have enough information about the procedure itself.
73% did not feel informed about the outcomes.
40% did not understand the costs involved.
This is not, in our view, a failure of effort. It reflects a wider issue with how the egg freezing conversation is structured. Most public information sits in two places: clinic marketing (often optimistic, sometimes simplified) and academic data (technical, hard to read in your kitchen at 11pm). Few resources translate the evidence into something you can actually use to make a decision.
The biggest gap: emotional support
The finding that stood out most was this:
84% of women said they did not feel emotionally supported in their decision‑making.
Or, put another way, only 16% did.
Clinical pathways in the UK are well established once you are inside them. Licensed clinics are required to offer counselling under the HFEA Code of Practice. But that support typically begins after you have decided to pursue egg freezing — not while you are working out whether to.
That is the stage of the journey we focus on at Egg Advisor, and the data suggests it is where the most help is needed.
What’s next
If you are at the consideration stage, our Considering Egg Freezing tool is built for you. It walks you through the questions women in our research told us they wished someone had asked, about your feelings, motivations, knowledge gaps and support, and ends with a clear set of next steps and a check list of things to consider.
You can also book a 1:1 conversation with an Egg Advisor or Egg Therapist if you would like to talk things through with someone independent.
You don’t need to have it figured out before you reach out. That’s exactly what this stage is for.