{"title":"Exploring the Fertility Needs of Women Before and After Oocyte Freezing for Medical and Non-Medical Reasons: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Mansoureh Moaya, Shadab Shahali, Minoor Lamyian, Sayed-Mohammad Azin, Alireza Milanifar","doi":"10.2147/IJWH.S546534","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Oocyte cryopreservation represents an effective strategy for fertility preservation among women of reproductive age. The most consistent and robust body of evidence highlights female age at the time of oocyte retrieval as the single most critical biological determinant of reproductive outcomes. While fertility preservation enhances women's reproductive autonomy, it simultaneously presents significant challenges regarding the adoption and integration of this advanced technology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We reviewed seven databases to assess the fertility needs of women before and after oocyte freezing for medical and non-medical reasons. The inclusion criteria targeted studies on fertility preservation in women, excluding research involving men, adolescents, and transgender individuals. Out of the 2550 screened publications, 44 studies met the eligibility requirements and were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The synthesis revealed five key areas of reproductive needs for women before and after oocyte freezing. Included counseling and fertility-related information, decision-making support, and emotional care. Furthermore, obtaining informed consent and issues related to the secondary use of frozen eggs are critical considerations for healthcare providers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Realistic counseling is essential to ensure that women understand both the opportunities and limitations of oocyte freezing. Balanced, evidence-based guidance can help women make informed decisions while avoiding unrealistic expectations. Future efforts should focus on integrating fertility preservation education into public health strategies, expanding insurance or subsidy programs to reduce financial burden, and developing culturally sensitive counseling frameworks.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This review was registered at PROSPERO with Registration ID: CRD42021223906.</p>","PeriodicalId":14356,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Women's Health","volume":"17 ","pages":"3361-3374"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12493922/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Women's Health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S546534","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: Oocyte cryopreservation represents an effective strategy for fertility preservation among women of reproductive age. The most consistent and robust body of evidence highlights female age at the time of oocyte retrieval as the single most critical biological determinant of reproductive outcomes. While fertility preservation enhances women's reproductive autonomy, it simultaneously presents significant challenges regarding the adoption and integration of this advanced technology.
Methods: We reviewed seven databases to assess the fertility needs of women before and after oocyte freezing for medical and non-medical reasons. The inclusion criteria targeted studies on fertility preservation in women, excluding research involving men, adolescents, and transgender individuals. Out of the 2550 screened publications, 44 studies met the eligibility requirements and were included.
Results: The synthesis revealed five key areas of reproductive needs for women before and after oocyte freezing. Included counseling and fertility-related information, decision-making support, and emotional care. Furthermore, obtaining informed consent and issues related to the secondary use of frozen eggs are critical considerations for healthcare providers.
Conclusion: Realistic counseling is essential to ensure that women understand both the opportunities and limitations of oocyte freezing. Balanced, evidence-based guidance can help women make informed decisions while avoiding unrealistic expectations. Future efforts should focus on integrating fertility preservation education into public health strategies, expanding insurance or subsidy programs to reduce financial burden, and developing culturally sensitive counseling frameworks.
Trial registration: This review was registered at PROSPERO with Registration ID: CRD42021223906.
期刊介绍:
International Journal of Women''s Health is an international, peer-reviewed, open access, online journal. Publishing original research, reports, editorials, reviews and commentaries on all aspects of women''s healthcare including gynecology, obstetrics, and breast cancer. Subject areas include: Chronic conditions including cancers of various organs specific and not specific to women Migraine, headaches, arthritis, osteoporosis Endocrine and autoimmune syndromes - asthma, multiple sclerosis, lupus, diabetes Sexual and reproductive health including fertility patterns and emerging technologies to address infertility Infectious disease with chronic sequelae including HIV/AIDS, HPV, PID, and other STDs Psychological and psychosocial conditions - depression across the life span, substance abuse, domestic violence Health maintenance among aging females - factors affecting the quality of life including physical, social and mental issues Avenues for health promotion and disease prevention across the life span Male vs female incidence comparisons for conditions that affect both genders.