Campaign to extend egg freezing limit is stalled due to General Election

The Progress Educational Trust recently launched a campaign calling for an extension to the current 10 year limit on the storage of frozen eggs.

#ExtendTheLimit quickly gathered a great deal of public attention and support when it was launched in October, with the online petition receiving 1,139 signatures. Sadly, shortly after the launch, the campaign was put on pause. With the announcement of the General Election, all petitions were closed down, and new petitions will need to be launched after the election.

For women who are freezing their eggs for so-called ‘social reasons’, eggs can only be stored for a maximum of 10 years. If they haven’t used their eggs within this period, their clinic must destroy them. The only exception is where eggs have been stored for ‘medical reasons’, where someone can demonstrate that they are or are likely to become prematurely infertile. In these cases, the limit can be extended every 10 years for a maximum of 55 years.

Campaigners have been arguing that this limit is outdated and unnecessary, and puts pressure on women to start a family within a strict time frame or face losing their best chance of conceiving their own biological child.

For those who have supported the campaign, the closing of the petition is hugely frustrating, although with growing demand for change, it seems that this will just be a temporary set back in an important and exciting campaign.

If you would like to speak to our expert Fertility Solicitors, please email us at fertility@ellisjones.co.uk or call us on 01202 525333.