Find out about freezing eggs (oocytes)

Find out about freezing eggs (oocyte cryopreservation), who can have their eggs frozen, the process and costs.

Freezing eggs can only be done in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) units that have been approved by the Ministry of Health (Hebrew).

The eggs are stored for 5 years. You can extend the storage period.

You should consult with your attending physician about rate of pregnancies and births after the egg freezing and thawing, based among other things, on the following: 

  • your age when the eggs were frozen
  • the freezing process itself
  • the length of time that the eggs are frozen

In rare cases, a technical failure can occur at the time of freezing.

Notes

  • Freezing eggs successfully does not guarantee pregnancy or birth.
  • The research data in the field varies because of the increase in the use of the procedure.
  • There still isn’t much data on the health of children born after egg freezing, as the procedure is still relatively new and not much time has passed since their births.
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Freezing eggs for medical reasons is done in the following cases: 

  • during fertility treatments if:
    • there is a severe inflammation in the woman’s pelvis (endometriosis)
    • the woman's ovaries cannot create enough egg cells (poor ovarian reserve)
    • an abscess in the internal reproductive organs
    • the man’s sperm quality or sperm count is low
    • the man is not able to donate sperm on the day on which it is drawn
       
  • girls and women who are about to receive chemotherapy or radiation that might affect their fertility:
    • freezing eggs 
    • embryo freezing (cryopreservation)
    • ovarian tissue freezing (cryopreservation)
       
  • there is an increased risk of early menopause for:
    • women who are carriers of the Fragile X Syndrome premutation
    • women who have symptoms that increase the risk of early menopause
    • women who have diseases that are proven to increase the risk of early menopause (autoimmune, chromosomal, or other syndromes)
       
  • women who are about to receive the following surgeries:
    • removal of the ovaries (Prophylactic oophorectomy) for carriers of the BRCA gene mutation
    • surgery that may involve removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy)
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Freezing eggs for medical reasons is included in the health basket and covered by your HMO.

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  • Women between the ages of 30 and 41 have their eggs frozen for reasons other than medical ones.
  • Women ages 30 to 36 can have up to 6 retrievals, or until they get 25 eggs, whichever comes first. Women ages 36 to 41 can have up to 6 retrievals, or until they get 35 eggs.
  • If the maximum number of eggs is collected in the first retrieval, one more retrieval of eggs may be allowed.
  • As long as the process stays legal and follows medical standards, women who started the process before age 41 can keep going with it until they reach the maximum number of treatments or get the number of eggs listed above.
Up until age 54, women can get fertility treatments and use their frozen eggs.
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You need to pay to freeze eggs for non-medical reasons. See the Ministry of Health price table for costs.

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Please note, if there is any difference or conflict between the information on this page and the law, the provisions of the law will apply.

Ministry of Health

Community Genetics Department

Kol Habriyut

*5400

Additional telephone: 08-6241010

Email: [email protected]

Hours

  • Sunday to Thursday, from 8am to 6pm
    Friday and holiday eves, from 8am to 1pm
    Hol Hamoed Pessah and Succot, from 8am to 2pm