The novel use of fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) treatment subscale to assess treatment acceptability in social egg freezing

Abstract

This is the first study to assess the impact of social egg freezing (SEF) on quality of life. This cross-sectional survey utilised the FertiQoL treatment module in women who underwent SEF between January 2008 and October 2019 (n = 94). The mean treatment score was 65.5, whereas the tolerability and environment scores were 62.4 and 68 respectively. Being married or in a relationship was associated with higher, albeit not statistically significant, scores (69.2) when compared to single women (66.3; p = 0.49). However, being separated or divorced was associated with significantly worse scores compared to married women, women in a relationship and single women (43.3 vs. 67.0; p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in scores between younger and older women, low and high number of oocytes stored, duration of stimulation cycles, or in those who had single or multiple cycles. These data suggest SEF is largely tolerable, with favourable FertiQoL scores compared to infertile women undergoing IVF. However, whilst such women are physiologically fertile, their situation renders them socially infertile. As such, women undergoing SEF should be identified as a population that requires additional support, who should be offered extensive counselling, active monitoring throughout the process and additional support if required.

Keywords:

• FertiQoL
• infertility
• oocyte cryopreservation
• vitrification
• fertility preservation
• quality of life
• social egg freezing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).