The Complexities โฃof โขEgg Freezing and Fertility Care in India
A โฃrecent discussion sparked by actress Upasana konidela has brought the topic of egg freezing into the spotlight in India, prompting a much-needed conversation about fertility, choice, and reproductive autonomy. However, experts caution that framing egg freezing as aโ simple “insurance โฃpolicy” overlooks the important financial, emotional, and practical realities for many women.
Egg freezing is a personal decision, best made after careful consideration ofโข individual circumstances. Factors like age, ovarian reserve, future โขfamily plans,โ and financial capabilities all play a crucial role. As Dr. โฃGita Arora, a fertility specialist, โemphasizes, “Patients should feel informedโฃ and empowered, โคnotโ pushed into expensive procedures.The โdecision should be based on individual choice,age,ovarian reserve,future plans,and finances.” ItS not a “must do,” โbut a choice dependent on timing, resources, emotional preparedness, and long-term goals.
The proliferation of simplifiedโ messaging onโ social media, such as equating egg freezing to financial security, can create undue pressure, particularly for young women who mayโ not be able to afford the procedure and may โfeelโ inadequate for not proactively planning.
The Hidden Emotional Burden
Beyond the financial barriers, โคfertility treatmentsโ like IVF and egg freezing carry a โconsiderable emotional weight. โThe potential for IVF failure is deeply distressing โfor many couples. Studies demonstrate a โคsignificantโ correlation between โคIVF failure โฃand increased rates โฃofโข depression andโค anxiety. Before undergoingโ IVF, approximately 25% of women โขreport experiencing depression, a figure that can climb to nearly โค50%โ following โunsuccessful treatment. Anxiety rates can affect up to two-thirds of women after unsuccessful cycles.
couples frequently enough grapple with feelings of grief, guilt, exhaustion, and โฃshame, feelings that are amplified in a society like India were parenthood isโ often considered a fundamental aspect of adulthood. Dr. Vaishali Sharma notes the โคcyclical nature of hope and disappointment inherent in the process:โค “Emotionally,IVF can be really exhausting. I’ve seen many patients describeโ a cycle of hope and โขdisappointment: injections, tests, two-week waits, and sometimes repeated failures. Anxiety, sadness, and guilt are common.The pressure of family โขexpectations, sexual strain in relationships, and significant financial stress really add to the burden.” For some, the emotionalโ toll outweighs the financial one.
Dr. Shivika โฃGupta from Birla Fertility &โ IVF highlightsโ a critical need forโ better patient support and data. โข “I have met so many patients who comeโข to โme not just forโ an IVF procedure but who are โlooking for โฃa ray of hope.They have unanswered โquestions as no one has properly given them any answers.” โฃShe stresses โthat IVFโข is not merely a medicalโ procedure,but a deeply emotionalโ journey requiring compassion and realistic expectations.โ “Patients should feel light, emotionally strengthened andโข need to be toldโ that there’sโค no 100% โguarantee.” The emotional repercussions can linger long after treatmentโฃ concludes, leading to prolonged grief or the acceptance of unattainable dreams.
A Broader Vision for Fertility Support
Upasana Konidela’sโฃ initiative has successfully opened a vital โdialog about โfertility in India. Though, the framing โof this โconversation is โcrucial. Egg freezing is โan โexpensive, emotionally โdemanding procedure with modest success rates, and remains inaccessible to many women.
True “insurance” for women isn’t solely egg freezing, but rather a thorough approach encompassing affordable fertility care, thorough reproductiveโ health education, government support for treatments,โข improved insurance coverage, supportive workplace policies balancing career and family planning, and โa cultural shift away from societalโ pressures surrounding women’s reproductive timelines. While Upasana Konidela brought attention โฃto โฃthe concept of eggโ freezing, โthe reality for moastโฃ Indian โwomen is the struggle to afford it.
(Published By: Daphne Clarance, published On: Novโฃ 19, 2025)