Egg Freezing Market & Technology - Egg freezing has become an accepted practice in the last 12 years, leading to a surge in demand with hundreds of thousands of eggs now frozen [2][3] - Egg freezing technology is considered as revolutionary as the birth control pill in the 1960s and 70s, offering women the option to delay childbearing into their 40s [8][9] - The process involves hormone injections to ripen multiple follicles, followed by egg retrieval and storage in liquid nitrogen at -320°F (-195.56°C) [4][5][7] - A 2022 study indicated that 70% of women who froze at least 20 eggs before age 38 had a baby [43] Financial Aspects & Corporate Involvement - A single egg freezing cycle costs an average of $12,000 to $15,000, with an additional $500 to $1,000 annually for storage, and around $10,000 for thawing and fertilization later on [21] - Over a third of the largest corporations in the US (those with 20,000 or more employees) now cover egg freezing as a benefit [22] - Venture capital and private equity firms have invested in egg freezing startups and fertility clinics, consolidating them into large networks [31] Ethical & Social Considerations - The optimal age to freeze eggs is in a woman's 20s due to lower rates of genetic errors and a higher quantity of eggs [18] - By age 40, 60-70% of embryos from a woman's eggs are likely to be chromosomally abnormal, increasing to 90% by age 45 [16] - Elective egg freezing may send the message to women that they can delay motherhood, but it involves medical risks, significant costs, and no guarantee of success [42] - Concerns exist that private equity-backed fertility companies may pressure doctors to encourage more cycles to increase revenue [45][46] - The majority of women who electively freeze their eggs are white and well-resourced, highlighting a gap in reproductive autonomy based on financial resources [47] Impact of Abortion Restrictions on Maternal Care - Texas' abortion restrictions have led to unintended consequences, hurting women with desired pregnancies and the people who care for them [57] - After Texas restricted abortion, maternal deaths rose 61% from 2019, compared to 8% nationwide [73] - In 2023, the number of OBGYN resident applicants in Texas dropped 16%, indicating future obstetricians are acknowledging the complexity of the rules in Texas [74] - One study showed over a 300% increase in out-of-state patient volume in New Mexico in 2023 compared to 2019, with 70-71% of those patients being from Texas [81] - Louisiana has the highest maternal mortality rate in the US, with 39 out of every 100,000 mothers dying during or shortly after childbirth [90][91]