Egg freezing patients ‘misled’ by clinics

Women who freeze their eggs are being misled by some UK clinics about their chances of having a baby, a fertility charity says.

The Fertility Network was reacting to BBC analysis that found 41% of clinics offering the service privately could be breaching advertising guidance.

The watchdog which sets guidance says clinics "must not give false or misleading information".

It comes as a record number of people are freezing their eggs.

The UK fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), also said it was concerned about the information given to those considering egg freezing.

A successful pregnancy is not guaranteed by the procedure.

Egg freezing for non-medical reasons, also known as social egg freezing, is an increasingly popular method for women to preserve their fertility in order to have children at a later date.

The procedure is not normally available on the NHS unless you are having medical treatment which could affect your fertility, such as chemotherapy or gender-reassignment.

There were more than 4,000 egg freezing procedures in the UK in 2021, compared with nearly 400 in 2011...