Claims by actress Jennifer Aniston that she wished she had frozen her eggs prior to unsuccessful IVF treatments have led to fertility experts warning egg freezing does not guarantee future pregnancy.
Aniston discussed how attempts to conceive via IVF had not resulted in pregnancy, in an interview with Allure magazine. In the interview, she explored how speculation over her fertility had invaded her privacy:
'All the years and years and years of speculation... It was really hard. I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it. I would've given anything if someone had said to me, "Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favour." You just don't think it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed.'
In response to this Dr Ippokratis Sarris the director of King's Fertility in London told the Guardian newspaper: 'For someone with the profile of Jennifer Aniston to be speaking about this – the openness is really welcome [...] But egg freezing is not a guarantee.'
Meanwhile Dr Zeynep Gurtin, a sociologist at UCL's Institute for Women's Health, warned that many people who freeze their eggs do not get pregnant. She told the newspaper that egg freezing, should be viewed as 'having a lottery ticket rather than having an insurance policy. An insurance policy suggests you’ll definitely get a payout. You're just increasing your chances.'
