Decreased ovarian reserve in young women

According to Dr. Trinh Thi Ngoc Yen, a Master's degree holder and resident physician at the Center for Reproductive Support and Tissue Grafting Technology, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, infertility is becoming increasingly common among younger people. Many young women are found to have significantly reduced ovarian reserve upon examination.

Which groups of people should consider egg freezing?

In Vietnam, egg freezing is gaining increasing attention from the community. The Center for Reproductive Support and Tissue Grafting Technology - Hanoi Medical University Hospital has received and advised many young couples, many unmarried women, etc., who want to learn about egg freezing services for future pregnancy.

In 2023, doctors at the Center for Reproductive Support and Tissue Grafting Technology - Hanoi Medical University Hospital performed over 300 egg retrieval and freezing cycles for patients, including many young people. Some patients born between 1998 and 2000 even had to undergo egg freezing.

A female student born in 1998 came to the hospital with a reduced ovarian reserve. Doctors advised and recommended that she undergo egg freezing to preserve her future fertility.

According to Doctor Yen, as a woman's age increases, the quality of her ovaries gradually declines. In particular, after the age of 35, the number and quality of eggs decrease significantly. After this age, the chances of a woman becoming pregnant using her own eggs decrease considerably.

"The ideal age for women to conceive is between 20 and 29 years old. After that, the chances gradually decrease, especially after 35. From 35 onwards, in addition to a decrease in pregnancy rates, the rates of miscarriage and stillbirth increase. Therefore, the chances of a woman having a healthy child after 35 are very low. That's why, as women become more independent, they are increasingly considering egg freezing to preserve their future fertility," said Dr. Yen.

Master's degree holder and resident physician Trinh Thi Ngoc Yen, Center for Reproductive Support and Tissue Grafting Technology - Hanoi Medical University Hospital (wearing a blue shirt).

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Manh Ha, Head of the Department of Histology and Embryology, Hanoi Medical University, and Director of the Center for Reproductive Support and Tissue Grafting Technology, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, cases seeking egg freezing fall into two groups: those seeking it for medical reasons such as preserving fertility before cancer treatment, lacking sperm for fertilization, or needing to accumulate eggs; and those seeking it for social reasons.

In particular, the number of patients seeking egg freezing due to social issues such as not wanting to marry, having no intention of marrying, and young people proactively seeking egg freezing has increased in the last three years. In addition, individuals planning to undergo gender transition also seek egg freezing services.

"The trend of egg freezing is increasing. Firstly, this stems from medical reasons; more and more cancer patients are concerned about preserving their fertility after treatment. At the same time, patients with too few eggs need to have them collected to have enough for fertilization. Secondly, the current marriage age is increasing; modern women tend to marry later, while fertility is not permanent and declines after age 35," Associate Professor Ha explained.

Consider these points before undergoing egg freezing.

Egg freezing offers hope for couples struggling with infertility, as well as ensuring the opportunity to have children for women focusing on their careers, those with reproductive health issues, endocrine disorders, serious illnesses, or simply those who haven't found a suitable partner.

According to Doctor Yen, currently, many young people come to the Center for Reproductive Support and Tissue Grafting Technology at Hanoi Medical University Hospital with the intention of freezing their eggs, but doctors do not recommend freezing in every case.

Egg freezing offers many benefits but also carries certain risks. Firstly, to freeze eggs, a person must have a stable financial foundation. Secondly, they must also be in good health.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Manh Ha said that the cost of egg freezing is about 40-50 million VND, including examination, testing, and egg retrieval fees. To maintain the frozen eggs in the freezing tubes, the annual cost is 1.7 million VND per tube.

Those who are single and have no intention of getting married should have a reproductive health check-up to receive advice from a doctor. If marriage is still a long way off and their ovarian reserve is not good, they should consider egg freezing as a backup plan for their future.

If you need to have tests done to assess ovarian reserve, many places can perform these tests, such as provincial hospitals, and even private centers. The most common test is the AMH level. Egg freezing, however, can only be done at facilities with specialized assisted reproductive technology centers.

Egg freezing is a specialized and complex technique. This is because the oocytes are the most unique cells in a woman's body. Generally, cryopreservation techniques in assisted reproductive technology include: egg freezing, sperm freezing, embryo freezing, and preservation of ovarian and testicular tissue. Of these, egg freezing is arguably the most difficult technique.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/suy-giam-du-tru-buong-trung-o-nguoi-tre-post844064.html