Medical Science Is the One

¶ … medical science is the one surrounding egg freezing for women who want to postpone pregnancy for social reasons as opposed to medical reasons. Imogen Goold and Julian Savulescu address the issues surrounding the problem in their article, "In Favour of Freezing Eggs for Non-Medical Reasons," published in Bioethics Volume 23, Number 1, pages 47-58.

As indicated by the title of the article, the authors take the position in favor of freezing eggs for what they term "social" reasons. This means that many women who opt for egg freezing do so for non-medical reasons. They are perfectly healthy and fit to bear children before they are thirty, for example, but for a variety of reasons find themselves unprepared for the financial and emotional responsibilities of raising children.

The greater part of the article is then also used to focus on the various reasons why women would choose to freeze their eggs for future use. The authors introduce the article by means of research evidence. They explain for example that a younger egg has a greater chance of providing a full-term pregnancy than older eggs. The age of the egg, rather than of the womb, is of critical importance. Hence women who choose to become pregnant only later in life now have the option to do so as a result of advances in egg freezing techniques.

The authors provide very specific information on the egg freezing techniques in the past, which were met with limited success, and compare them to current techniques, which are associated with much higher success and lower risk rates. The authors substantiate their claims with a large amount of statistical and research data.

Furthermore, studies on children produced in this way prove them to be healthy individuals. The new methods of egg freezing have reduced risks not only to the pregnancy and the mother, but also to the children produced in terms of genetic defects and the like.

This positive statement at the end of the introductory section is linked to the main section, in which the authors make their case in favor of egg freezing for social reasons. Because egg freezing is much more successful, the authors note that there is no reason why women should not be presented with this option in terms of their fertility. Indeed, they place it in the same category is IVF, which is a widely accepted method of conception for those who cannot have children.

The authors list several benefits of providing access to egg freezing. One is that women have the option of using younger eggs, which can in turn prevent genetic abnormalities as well as increase the success of the pregnancy.

Some social reasons for women who choose this type of fertilization include equal participation in employment, more time to find a suitable partner, emotional and psychological preparedness, and a type of "egg insurance." Women who choose to have children early in life do so at the risk of their workplace responsibilities. Many therefore choose to put off pregnancy until they have fully established their careers. In this way, they have more to give their work as well as more to give at home once they choose pregnancy. Others wish to put off pregnancy until they have a stable relationship, as well as stable finances. This will benefit both the parents and child. Emotional and psychological readiness is also crucial in having children. Slightly older people have a greater sense of responsibility and calmness, for example.

The authors also provide counterarguments for their view, as well as a response to these arguments. Many for example have moral objections against women who choose this method of conception. One reason is that older women should not be allowed to have children because of their age. The authors however note that age should not be a significant issue, as the average life expectancy in their area of study is about 80 years or more for women, making them ideal candidates for the new technology.

The authors end the article by a consideration of the way forward with the new technology. It is suggested that the benefits of the technique far outweigh any possible objections. Personally, I find myself convinced. It is important to provide women with as many equal opportunity work options as possible. The authors make very good arguments for freezing eggs and using them later in life, when partnerships, finances, and emotions have stabilized.

I believe that the article was well written and clearly addresses all the issues and main points. All the new concepts are thoroughly explained via illustrative examples. The authors also provide a myriad of important statistical and research information to underwrite their claims. Indeed, this alone is enough to convince any reader.

The arguments for egg freezing that I find most compelling is the one relating to workplace equality. Although women have had the right to vote for almost a century now, some social attitudes regarding women and childbirth remain. Women who work while the babies are home for example tend to be frowned upon. Furthermore, many women have children at a young age not because they choose to, but rather because they fear being unable to become pregnant later in life. This impacts upon their social and emotional lives. Many women prefer to stay home with their children when they are babies, impacting upon the workforce. Children also place great strain upon relationships and finances when they arrive in the lives of very young couples.

The strongest argument made in favor of children at a later age relate to stability. Career, relationship and financial stability are very important to enable raising healthy and well-adjusted children. Hence the counter-argument against age is rebutted by the stability issue. Those who counter hold that older parents have a detrimental effect upon the children that they raise. They are not able to participate as actively or energetically in their children's lives as younger people. A further argument against age is that older people die sooner and leave their children's lives before the children in question are ready to be without parents. The authors however counter this with the fact of high average ages. Parents who have children in their 40s and 50s for example have a good chance of surviving to see them to adulthood.

Also, the sheer stress upon limited emotional and physical resources has a much greater impact upon younger people than older ones. Older people are established in their emotional and relationship lives. They are much more stable than younger persons, who also have the additional pressure of establishing themselves in the workplace. Young mothers may also experience resentment against their male partners for their ability to continue with their careers, while mothers are forced to take time away from their careers.