I came across a TikTok video that stopped me mid-scroll, not for the usual gossip or glow-up, but for its gut-punch honesty.
In it, award-winning sex educator Justine Ang Fonte says something most fertility clinics don’t print in glossy brochures.
“I paid $16,000 for my eggs … and none of them survived.”
As someone raised to believe that science had a solution for everything, including delaying motherhood, I had to find out more. Could the very procedure women are taught to see as an “insurance policy” for their future families actually fail … completely?
Conversations around fertility are still shrouded in silence or privilege around the world, so it’s time we deconstruct what egg freezing means, who it works for, and what you aren’t told upfront.
Egg freezing is a personal decision that depends on a variety of factors.
One common question we hear is: Why do some frozen eggs not survive the thaw? It’s a great question, and understanding the answer requires examining the science behind egg freezing, the challenges of the process, and the factors that influence success rates.
@intothemudpodcast Imagine spending $16K for a “guarantee” that doesn’t pan out….catch the full episode with Justine to learn more about the entire egg freezing process and the madness of the fertility industry! #fertility #eggfreezing @Justine Ang Fonte, M.Ed, MPH @Alex Kumin ♬ original sound – Into the Mud Podcast
What is egg freezing?
The Gift OV Life egg donor program explains egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, as a medical procedure where a woman’s eggs are extracted, frozen unfertilised, and stored for later use.
It’s often sold as an empowering option for women who aren’t ready to have children, whether due to career goals, a lack of the right partner, or medical reasons.
The increased availability of fertility preservation empowers people to make choices about when and how to have children on their terms.
But empowerment, as Fonte discovered, isn’t always straightforward. Fonte froze her eggs at age 34, soon after ending a long-term relationship.
“I was told I had 15 viable eggs and that this ‘guaranteed’ me three live births,” she said in a recent episode of the “Into the Mud” podcast. “Five years later, none survived the thaw. Not one.
“How long can eggs stay frozen? In theory, eggs can remain frozen indefinitely. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, eggs can be safely stored for up to 10 years, sometimes longer, without a significant drop in quality if they’re frozen properly, a technique called vitrification (ultra-rapid freezing to prevent ice crystals from forming).
But thawing is the wildcard. Studies suggest that about 90% of vitrified eggs survive the thaw, but survival doesn’t guarantee a successful pregnancy. “Some eggs just don’t like to be frozen,” said Fonte’s doctor, a truth that hits hard when you’ve spent your savings thinking you’ve bought peace of mind.
Once a woman decides to use her frozen eggs, the eggs are warmed, fertilised with sperm via IVF, and monitored for embryo development. But egg cells are delicate and not all make it through the thawing process.
This is where many hopeful parents are blindsided. Egg thaw survival is dependent on the lab, the freezing technique, the age of the woman, when the eggs were frozen, and the fragility and quality of the eggs.
According to Cofertility overall, the survival rate when thawing frozen eggs using vitrification is 95%. It’s a significant improvement over older methods such as slow freezing, which had survival rates closer to 75%.
During freezing and thawing, ice crystal formation is a major cause of damage to eggs. The rapid cooling process used in vitrification minimises this risk.
In a 2023 study from the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, researchers found the following success rates for egg freezing:79% of frozen oocytes survived the thawing process68% of the thawed eggs were successfully fertilised and available for transfer 35% of the embryos transferred to a uterus resulted in a live birth
The fine print that few people read
Egg freezing is often marketed as a form of reproductive insurance. But unlike car insurance, the payout isn’t guaranteed. In fact, according to fertility experts, a woman under 35 who freezes 10–20 eggs has only a 60–70% chance of one live birth.
Worse still? In most countries, including South Africa, there is limited regulation on how clinics present these stats. One commenter on Fonte’s video said it best: “Ask your doctor about their thaw rates, not just retrieval rates.”
Beyond the money, the emotional cost is real. Fonte thought she was doing the responsible thing. “I had this fake peace of mind for five years,” she says. “I thought I had options. I didn’t.” The grief isn’t just for the lost eggs, it’s for the lost belief that you were safe.
What you can do to improve your chances
While some factors, like age, are beyond your control, there are steps you can take to improve your chances of success:
Choose the right clinic: Do thorough research and select a clinic with a proven track record in egg freezing and thawing success.
Follow your clinic’s instructions: During the egg retrieval process, follow your clinic’s guidelines for medications, diet, and lifestyle to ensure the best possible egg quality.
Egg freezing can be a powerful tool, but only if women are given the whole truth. As Fonte puts it, “I wish I had known it was a maybe, not an insurance policy.”
