Expert statement: 'Women have started freezing eggs much more'

'DEMAND IS STEADILY INCREASING'

Stating that women are becoming more aware of egg freezing, Obstetrician and Gynecologist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şule Yıldırım Köpük said, "Recently, the age of marriage for women has risen, and because they are delaying having children due to career planning, the demand for egg freezing is also steadily increasing.

At the same time, we are raising awareness among women, and the demand is increasing day by day. We recommend this procedure at this stage; if our patient's ovarian reserve has decreased, or if there is a history of early menopause in her family, her mother, or her aunt, we sometimes have to recommend it for health reasons.

We offer an option to our patients who have been diagnosed with cancer and for whom we anticipate that ovarian functions will be lost before chemotherapy and radiotherapy, by storing their eggs to be used in the future. At the same time, if our patient has an endometrioma (chocolate cyst) and we are going to recommend surgery, of course, surgery can reduce the reserve to some extent.

Therefore, we recommend freezing their eggs before surgery so that we can use them in the coming years. This procedure starts with the menstrual cycle and lasts approximately 8-10 days. Of course, the duration can vary depending on the person's egg response. The eggs are collected under general anesthesia, and after collection, they can be stored for 5 to 10 years thanks to developing freezing technologies at minus 196 degrees," she said.

'SPERM COUNT IS IMPORTANT'

Stating that examinations at certain intervals are of great importance and that women should not neglect their check-ups, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Köpük continued her words as follows:

"While 8-10 eggs are sufficient before the age of 35, we want this number to be higher, between 15-20, after 35. The number is important, and at the same time, the partner's sperm count and quality are also important. Therefore, the more eggs we have, the more advantageous our position becomes. Sometimes, since we cannot stop menopause, they need to pay attention to their own holistic health.

The egg remains at the age it was frozen and represents the patient's age at that time. The age of menopause is determined by the patient's genetics; there is a legacy from her mother, and of course, her own lifestyle also has an effect. If a person has poor eating habits, sleep irregularities, consumes a lot of processed foods, consumes a lot of alcohol and cigarettes, and especially if they are fed with foods rich in carbohydrates, these lower the age of menopause. My advice to women is that they should have regular, annual gynecological examinations.

Walking 3 days a week, in particular, and weight control are very important. The eggs we collect or the injections we give for treatment do not have the potential to cause early menopause. There is an increase in egg freezing because the public has become more aware and the age of marriage has risen. Only if the number of eggs is very high, a condition we call ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can sometimes occur, but that happens very rarely."

News Source: 12punto