1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Freezing Fertility

August 1, 2022

Mothers in industrialized countries are older than ever before at the birth of their first child. Many women postpone having a child. To make this possible, they freeze their eggs.

Mutter mit Baby
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Hubatka
Image: Dutch Core

Since the 1970s, the average age of first-time mothers has risen steadily. However, as women age, the risk of infertility increases. To minimize this risk, more and more women are having their eggs frozen during their "most fertile" years. In this preserved state, eggs can be kept in a kind of cryogenic torpor for a long period of time, during which all metabolic processes come to a virtual standstill. After thawing, the eggs can be transferred to the uterine cavity following artificial insemination. 

Image: Monkey Business 2/Shotshop/picture alliance

In a society where life seem less and less predictable, this reproductive technology seems to offer some women the opportunity to control their fertility. But what are the costs of the procedure? Does it take a toll on health, emotions and finances? And how likely is pregnancy? The film discusses the possibilities and pitfalls of the practice of freezing unfertilized eggs.
 


Broadcasting Hours: 

DW English

WED 14.09.2022 – 01:15 UTC
WED 14.09.2022 – 04:15 UTC
WED 14.09.2022 – 18.15 UTC 
THU 15.09.2022 – 09:15 UTC
SAT 17.09.2022 – 02:15 UTC
SUN 18.09.2022 – 08:15 UTC

Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 I Nairobi UTC +3
Delhi UTC +5,5 I Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4

DW Deutsch+

THU 15.09.2022 – 09:15 UTC
SUN 18.09.2022 – 08:15 UTC 

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3  

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW