After Emma Clayton Jones learned she had a genetic mutation that put her at higher risk for some cancers, she started thinking about freezing her eggs.
“I’ve always known that when I want to start a family, there would be the option to freeze my eggs and then test the embryos,” she told CBC News.
Clayton Jones has the BRCA 1 mutation, an inherited genetic change that raises the lifetime risk of developing various cancers, including breast and ovarian — and she doesn’t want to pass it on to her future kids. By freezing her eggs, Clayton Jones can plan ahead by preserving her fertility, and later, creating embryos that will be tested for the same genetic mutation.
“After having a cancer scare myself, I thought, ‘If I have the choice and the privilege to not put someone through it, I won’t.'”
She isn’t alone — more women across Canada are considering freezing their eggs, a procedure that’s surging in popularity among those who can afford it.
Experts say most people freeze their eggs to preserve their fertility. After all, people are having children later, for reasons like career ambitions, relationship status and the rising cost of living.
But many women like Clayton Jones are also coming forward, too, hoping to plan their pregnancies in a way that better protects their future children.
Ethical concerns
Egg freezing isn’t absolutely necessary to pursue genetic testing, as it is the embryos, not the eggs themselves, that get tested. But it’s a common path for women who have concerns about passing down health issues and who are unsure of when they want to have children. Once they are ready, they will often begin in vitro fertilization, or IVF.
“Testing embryos for genetic abnormalities is a safer and more reliable option, particularly given that sperm can also carry abnormalities,” said Judith Daniluk, a University of British Columbia professor who specializes in women’s fertility.
Experts warn there are some ethical concerns with genetic testing — particularly if it’s done for reasons other than potential health issues, like sex selection. There are also some religious groups who believe that genetic testing is always morally wrong.
“Some disability advocates are also concerned about the slippery slope of trying to eliminate normal diversity within the human species,” she said, “as well as further stigmatizing those with disabilities.”
‘Overall, it is still an uphill battle to make it accessible to anyone who wants to do it,’ Dr. Sony Sierra said of fertility treatments and access to them. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Notably, it’s a criminal offence in Canada to choose an embryo based on sex, unless it’s to prevent a sex-linked illness, or to pursue so-called “designer babies,” which have genetic traits selected for them that their parents consider desirable. Anyone found guilty faces a fine of up to $500,000 and up to 10 years in prison, though there have been no documented convictions of elective sex selection in Canada.
But in the U.S., where elective sex selection is legal, genetic testing has allowed people to choose whether their embryo will develop into a boy or a girl, said Caitlin Dunne, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at the B.C.-based Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine.
Still, genetic testing for health reasons is legal in Canada. But fertility treatments aren’t cheap. When it comes to egg freezing, doctors who spoke to CBC News said that one cycle typically costs around $8,000, with another $2,000 to $8,000 for medication.
Patients often need two or three cycles to increase their chances for pregnancy, and there are additional costs associated with storage.
Public funding for fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, or IVF, varies from province to province and generally doesn’t cover elective egg freezing. But increasingly, workplace benefits will cover a cycle, or at least the medication required for it.
Clayton Jones said she’s still trying to figure out the costs.
A still image of Dr. Sierra’s egg freezing clinic. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
The 32-year-old says she’s thinking about pregnancy in the “next couple of years,” but wants to balance her expectations with the cost of the procedure.
“It seems like it’s going to be a bit of a patchwork of expenses. I’m trying to get to the bottom of how much to actually budget for something like this.”
Fertility a ‘public health concern’ affecting many
“The egg freezing is more precipitated for me by the idea that I’d like to do the genetic testing of the embryos,” Clayton Jones said. “I feel a tiny crunch of pressure related to the BRCA gene, but I am also trying to be cost-conscious.”
Dr. Sony Sierra, Toronto-based medical director of Evolve Egg Freezing Clinic, told CBC News that elective egg freezing has become more popular and accessible because public discourse and celebrity stories have made it mainstream — but there is still a long way to go.
“Overall, it is still an uphill battle to make it accessible to anyone who wants to do it,” she said, adding she hopes that improves over time.
Dunne says she also hopes fertility treatments will become more accessible as more people become informed.
“Look at your nieces or employees, sisters, aunts, people with ovaries. There are all kinds of people around you dealing with infertility or concerns. It truly is a public health concern that touches so many.”
