Interactive Session - Fertility Preservation Special Interest Group - Why Ask Why: Should the Reason for Oocyte Cryopreservation Matter?

Presenters

Why Ask Why: Should the Reason for Oocyte Cryopreservation Matter?

Needs Assessment and Description
In 2007, the Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine stated that “due to its experimental status and lack of outcome data, oocyte cryopreservation should not be offered electively to fertile women as a means of postponing childbearing.” However, due to the societal trend to delay childbearing and an increasing awareness of age-related decline in female fertility, assisted reproductive technology (ART) programs are faced with a growing demand for this technology and many programs are currently offering it to their patients. In this live interactive session for ART providers, the presenters will debate the experimental status and clinical applicability of elective oocyte cryopreservation in current practice.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to: 

1. Summarize the current status and applicability of oocyte cryopreservation for fertility preservation. 
2. Discuss recent advances as well as current limitations of existing data on outcomes of oocyte cryopreservation.

ACGME Competency
Patient Care

TEST QUESTION:
A 35-year-old healthy woman presents for a consultation about oocyte cryopreservation. She does not currently have a male partner. She is not ready to start a family at this time, and wants to wait until she has met the right male partner and is married. She is worried that another 5 years or so is likely to pass before this happens. After participating in this session, in my practice I will offer this patient: 

1. In vitro fertilization with embryo cryopreservation using donor sperm 
2. Oocyte cryopreservation 
3. Ovarian reserve testing, and if normal will advise that she does not need to consider oocyte or embryo cryopreservation 
4. Not applicable to my area of practice