the Church’s denunciation of embryo freezing: A 1987 document known as Donum Vitae (The Gift of Life), an authoritarian proclamation on reproductive science, addressed the morality of many at-the-time-modern fertility procedures, and specifically IVF. The Vatican’s declarations guide Catholic doctors and hospitals around the world, and the Donum Vitae governed the Church’s stance on embryo freezing while Dr. Fabbri and Dr. Porcu were doing their research in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2008, the Vatican issued a new document, Dignitas Personae, which gives doctrinal directives on certain embryonic ethical controversies that had emerged since 1987, after Donum Vitae was released. The thirty-five-page document denounces most forms of fertility treatment, including egg freezing, which it deems immoral when used for artificial procreation. (The Vatican hadn’t commented on egg freezing in its 1987 document.) In addition to being against egg freezing, the Catholic Church still condemns IVF and other forms of assisted reproductive technology (as well as contraception and abortion).
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
Dr. Fabbri tried adjusting: R. Fabbri, E. Porcu, T. Marsella, G. Rocchetta, S. Venturoli, and C. Flamigni, “Human Oocyte Cryopreservation: New Perspectives Regarding Oocyte Survival,” Human Reproduction 16, no. 3 (2001): 411–416, doi.org/10.1093/humrep/16.3.411.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
a new method, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection: ICSI was the first truly successful treatment for male infertility and today is often used when prior IVF cycles have failed or a couple is confronting unexplained infertility.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
a baby born from a frozen egg using ICSI: The child was born February 17, 1997, from an egg that had been frozen for four months. Later that year, the first successful pregnancy in the United States from frozen eggs resulted in the birth of twins, in Georgia. Eleonora Porcu, Patrizia M. Ciotti, Raffaella Fabbri, Otello Magrini, Renato Seracchioli, and Carlo Flamigni, “Birth of a Healthy Female After Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection of Cryopreserved Human Oocytes,” Fertility and Sterility 68, no. 4 (1997): 724–726, doi.org/10.1016/s0015-0282(97)00268-9.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
Until 2003, when it was proven: Tae Ki Yoon, Thomas J. Kim, Sung Eun Park, Seung Wook Hong, Jung Jae Ko, Hyung Min Chung, and Kwang Yul Cha, “Live Births After Vitrification of Oocytes in a Stimulated In Vitro Fertilization–Embryo Transfer Program,” Fertility and Sterility 79, no. 6 (2003): 1323–1326, doi.org/10.1016/S0015-0282(03)00258-9.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
Vitrification significantly improved egg survival: “A Review of Best Practices of Rapid-Cooling Vitrification for Oocytes and Embryos: A Committee Opinion,” Fertility and Sterility 115, no. 2 (2021): 305–310, doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.11.017.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
lifted the “experimental” label on egg freezing: American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) Committee Report, “Mature Oocyte Cryopreservation: A Guideline,” Fertility and Sterility 99, no. 1 (2013): 37–43, doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.09.028.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
More than nine hundred babies: Charlotte Schubert, “Egg Freezing Enters Clinical Mainstream,” Nature, October 23, 2012, scientificamerican.com/article/egg-freezing-enters-clinical-mainstream/.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
With that designation: ASRM and SART Committee Report, “Ovarian Tissue and Oocyte Cryopreservation,” Fertility and Sterility 90, no. 5 (2008): 241–246, doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.08.039.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
Despite the society’s recommendation: Briana Rudick, Neisha Opper, Richard Paulson, Kristin Bendikson, and Karine Chung, “The Status of Oocyte Cryopreservation in the United States,” Fertility and Sterility 94, no. 7 (2010): 2642–2646, doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.04.079.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
after reviewing nearly: Josephine Johnston and Miriam Zoll, “Is Freezing Your Eggs Dangerous? A Primer,” New Republic, November 1, 2014, newrepublic.com/article/120077/dangers-and-realities-egg-freezing.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
“There are not yet sufficient data”: ASRM and SART Committee Report, “Mature Oocyte Cryopreservation,” 42.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
simply to delay childbearing: It could be argued that there wasn’t enough quality research to go on even when it came to removing the experimental label from the procedure. At the time, only four randomized clinical egg freezing trials had been conducted. And of the 981 fairly small egg freezing studies ASRM reviewed, only 112 addressed safety and efficacy concerns.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
“While a careful review of the literature”: “Highlights from the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine,” Texas Fertility Center, October 22, 2012, ASRM, txfertility.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ASRMeggfreezerelease.pdf.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
in its 2008 report: ASRM and SART Committee Report, “Essential Elements of Informed Consent for Elective Oocyte Cryopreservation,” Fertility and Sterility 88, no. 6 (2008): 134, doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.10.009.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
“while this technology may appear to be”: ASRM and SART Committee Report, “Mature Oocyte Cryopreservation,” 41.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
“Marketing this technology”: ASRM and SART Committee Report, “Mature Oocyte Cryopreservation,” 41.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
Apple and Facebook announced: Danielle Friedman, “Perk Up: Facebook and Apple Now Pay for Women to Freeze Eggs,” NBC News, October 14, 2014, nbcnews.com/news/us-news/perk-facebook-apple-now-pay-women-freeze-eggs-n225011.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
debate ensued: Miriam Zoll, “Freezing Eggs Puts Women and Infants’ Health at Stake,” New York Times, October 16, 2014, nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/10/15/freezing-plans-for-motherhood-and-staying-on-the-job/freezing-eggs-puts-women-and-infants-health-at-stake.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
nearly 115,000 women: I obtained the numbers of patients who froze eggs for non-medical reasons from 2009 to 2022 from SART directly.
GO TO NOTE REFERENCE IN TEXT
