The Good News for Single Women: Depositing Eggs in the "Egg Bank," Fact or Fiction?

The Good News for Single Women: Depositing Eggs in the "Egg Bank," Fact or Fiction?

It is widely known that every individual, regardless of gender, possesses a maternal essence within them. As one grows older and matures, the desire to experience the feeling of motherhood intensifies. The longing to have someone to love throughout life, someone who genuinely loves us, manifests as the desire to have a child to nurture and care for. But what should a single woman do? How can she have a child? Or perhaps, in the future, as an act of merit, destiny will lead her to her soulmate when she is older, and the eggs will lose their viability, and having children together will no longer be possible. If we could preserve the condition of our eggs to await the day we find our soulmate, it would be advantageous.

That's right... these thoughts or ideas about depositing eggs or the "egg bank" come to fruition.

There have been various entertainment news reports claiming that single female celebrities have taken the initiative to deposit their eggs, waiting for their future husbands. Even celebrity couples who are not yet ready for marriage have decided to deposit their eggs and sperms as a precautionary measure. Is this truly feasible? Let's delve deep into the realm of medical knowledge and find out.

A woman's "eggs" begin to form when she is still in her mother's womb. Even before birth, there are approximately 7 million egg cells prepared and ready. However, once a woman is born, the eggs can only start functioning once she enters adolescence or begins menstruating. Each month, a selection process takes place, and about 10 to 20 eggs are chosen to mature, with only the best one being released. Therefore, a woman's lifetime may see approximately 400 rounds or 400 eggs being released. The eggs mature as the woman ages and may no longer be able to be fertilized naturally. The optimal age for the best quality eggs and successful pregnancies is between 24 and 30 years old. Thus, the idea of extracting the eggs during their prime and freezing them in advance may lead to having the best possible children.

The technique for retrieving eggs involves using a needle to extract them through the birth canal. The needle is directly inserted into the follicle to extract the red eggs. To put it simply, in comparison to chicken eggs, we only need the red eggs for fertilization, while the white and eggshell are unnecessary. Therefore, we puncture the eggshell and extract the red eggs from the body. However, we cannot simply use a fresh needle to easily penetrate the birth canal. We must ensure a sterile environment, similar to an operating room. Anesthesia is administered to induce deep sleep, painkillers are given to numb the blood flow, and only then can the needle be used to retrieve the eggs. However, investing in anesthesia and undergoing such a procedure would not be worthwhile for collecting just one egg. It would not justify the physical discomfort, the cost of medical equipment, or the hospital fees. Therefore, we must go through the process of stimulating the ovaries to produce more than one egg. How many eggs can be obtained depends on the body's response to the stimulation from the doctor.

The process of stimulating eggs involves injecting medication into the abdomen for approximately 8-10 days, with daily injections to ensure that each egg grows simultaneously and is of good quality for egg retrieval. After the eggs are retrieved, they are examined for quality in the laboratory. The eggs that pass the quality assessment and are ready for freezing are then subjected to a process called vitrification, which involves freezing them in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius using a new rapid freezing technique called Vitrification. This technique minimizes damage to the eggs, preserving their integrity and allowing them to be used for future fertility treatments.

However, due to the larger and more complex nature of egg cells compared to sperm cells or embryos resulting from fertilization, it is challenging to preserve the overall quality of all the components of the female egg. There is still no definitive global research confirming the success of this preservation technique in Thailand, Asia, Europe, or America.

Therefore, in the field of medicine, if a woman is already married and has her own sperm, it is advisable to proceed with fertilization using embryos or enter the process of in vitro fertilization to obtain fully developed embryos before freezing them. These embryos can later be transferred to the uterus when ready for pregnancy.

But what about single women? Isn't egg banking an option?

It is not the optimal choice, although it is possible. However, there is no guarantee that the eggs, once thawed, will be able to successfully interact with sperm. There is no 100% assurance that there will be an exchange of chromosomes and successful development into a viable embryo. Therefore, some hospitals may offer this service, although they may advertise it with caution, as success is not guaranteed, or some hospitals may not offer it at all to avoid giving false hope to patients.

So, if any single woman has made the decision to freeze her eggs, it is recommended to inquire directly with hospitals or fertility centers that have assisted reproduction services. Have a conversation with the doctor about the feasibility and suitability of the procedure, the cost involved, and choose a facility that is convenient for you.

In certain medical institutions, egg freezing is a common practice, especially for cancer patients who need to undergo chemotherapy. The chemotherapy drugs used can significantly reduce the effectiveness of egg cells. Therefore, the only option to preserve future fertility for cancer patients is to safeguard their personal right to have children to the fullest extent possible. That's why there are egg banks specifically catering to this patient group.

Lastly, as the conclusion of this article, I would like to offer some encouragement to all single women to find true love and a suitable partner who matches their eggs quickly. No need to worry or struggle with whether egg banking is a viable option or not.

By Dr. Anchulee Pruetthiworranunt

Word count: 1038