– Freeze time. The term “fertility wealth gap” usually refers to how income and socioeconomic factors affect fertility and access to reproductive health care.
However, a recent book published argues that there is another wealth gap related to fertility: the developing wealth gap between men and women due to the popularity of egg freezing.
exist Parent passwordjournalist Ruthie Ackerman struggled to deal with her sense of conflict with her mother, and eventually, she decided to have a child in some way and with the age of social practice. On the one hand, she celebrated the scientific breakthrough that led her to build her family. On the other hand, she explores the complex world of Instagram-friendly fertility startups that easily assured women about $15,000 to $20,000 (In most major U.S. cities, the average cost of an egg freezing cycle), as she said, they can “have everything” at any time. “Young women are forced to choose between freezing eggs to give themselves “insurance policies” and retirement savings,” she wrote. While not yet a mainstream benefit, some companies do cover egg freezing, Like some states. However, the latter often has warnings that, for example, it does not apply to frozen egg coverage for social or elective reasons.
Demand for egg freezing is soaring in the U.S. amid the Assisted Breeding Technology Association Report a 39.2% increase in the year of the 2023 cycle. Also rising Sperm Freeze Startupproviding men with opportunities to retain their fertility (usually through at-home kits), while the cost of female peers is minimal. (The process costs between $500 and $4,000 depending on the company or clinic.) However, biology means that fertility preservation is a more pressing issue for women, which brings huge financial, emotional and physical costs: an egg freezing cycle lasts about two weeks, involving daily hormone injections before the egg recovery procedure is performed. Some women go through multiple cycles depending on the number of eggs collected. “Even if men benefit from starting families later, young women also bear financial burdens to be able to have children later in life,” Ackerman wrote.
This is a familiar question – like my single girlfriend. In the early to mid-30s, egg freezing is a topic of frequent conversation. For those who want children and don’t, we feel irresponsible in the age when many birth companies tell us to ensure our future families, we feel irresponsible. “It’s easier than ever.” However, egg freezing is No guarantee of pregnancy In the coming years, its price tags have made it unavailable for many women who want this option. For those who keep moving forward (like me), the relative peace it brings with the dissatisfaction we have to exhaust our savings accounts to achieve this. (In addition to upfront fees, the clinic charges about $500 to $1,000 in egg storage). I flew from New York to freeze eggs from my native England, where medical expenses were greatly reduced. I paid about £5000 (about $6700) for one cycle.
What is the solution? “Companies need to strengthen maternity benefits,” Ackerman told me. “States need to step up. Insurance companies need to step up.” Hopefully this will happen soon so women no longer need to choose between financial stability and future families.
Ally Austin
Ellie.austin@fortune.com
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