The Rise of Egg Freezing: What It Means for Donors and Recipients

Once considered an experimental procedure, egg freezing is now a mainstream fertility solution—reshaping the landscape for both egg donors and egg recipients. As medical advancements refine the egg freezing process, more individuals are preserving their reproductive autonomy and opening doors for hopeful parents around the world.

At the Fertility Institute of San Diego, led by double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Minoos Hosseinzadeh, this evolution is more than scientific—it’s deeply personal. Through the in-house donor program at EggDonorsSanDiego.com, the clinic provides tailored guidance to both donors and recipients navigating this transformative path.

“Egg freezing is no longer just a fertility preservation tool—it’s a bridge between timing and possibility, science and family,” says Dr. Hosseinzadeh.

What is Egg Freezing?

Clinically referred to as oocyte cryopreservation, egg freezing involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries and rapidly cooling them to subzero temperatures for long-term egg storage. When a person is ready, the frozen eggs are thawed, fertilized, and implanted through donor egg IVF or personal use.

This technology empowers two key populations:

• Individuals delaying parenthood for personal, career, or health-related reasons (fertility preservation)
• Fertility clinics and egg donor agencies developing frozen egg banks for recipient families to purchase to build their families

The improved egg freezing success rates, especially with vitrification (a flash-freezing technique), have significantly expanded its role in assisted reproduction.

How Egg Freezing Affects Donors

For egg donors, freezing allows for greater flexibility. Rather than waiting to match with a recipient family before starting the medical process for the egg retrieval—clinics can now retrieve and freeze eggs ahead of need.

Benefits of egg freezing for donors:

• Less time-sensitive coordination of process
• Flexible timing to start the donation process
• Opportunity to support more than one family through frozen donor eggs

At EggDonorsSanDiego.com, donors undergo a detailed medical and psychological screening to ensure they meet rigorous egg donation standards before any eggs are retrieved or frozen.

“Donors give more than just eggs—they give time, energy, and emotional presence,” explains Dr. Hosseinzadeh. “By freezing their eggs, we honor that contribution by expanding how many lives they can touch.”

What It Means for Recipients

For egg recipients, the ability to choose from a wide inventory of frozen donor eggs reduces wait times and expands selection. It also allows patients to begin IVF on their own timeline, without needing to coordinate with a donor’s cycle.

Benefits of egg freezing for recipients include:

• Immediate access to frozen donor eggs—saves time
• Comfort to know that the eggs are waiting for you when you’re ready
• The egg count is guaranteed so recipients feel safe

Egg recipients still undergo preparatory treatment to ensure the uterine lining is ready for implantation. Once the embryo is created through IVF with frozen eggs, the rest of the process mirrors a standard embryo transfer.

Why the Demand for Egg Freezing is Growing

Multiple cultural, medical, and economic factors have driven the sharp uptick in egg freezing:

• Delayed motherhood: More women are postponing childbirth for careers, education, or until finding the right partner.
• Fertility preservation before medical treatment: Cancer patients or those undergoing gender-affirming therapy can proactively preserve fertility.
• Improved technology: Higher egg freezing success rates make this a more viable option than in previous decades.
• Changing family structures: Single parents by choice and LGBTQ+ families often benefit from frozen eggs and donor programs.

“Modern families look different today—and so do the paths to parenthood,” says Dr. Hosseinzadeh. “Egg freezing gives our patients the power to plan parenthood with clarity, confidence, and compassion.”

Costs and Considerations

The egg freezing cost can vary based on location, clinic, agency, and whether it’s for donation or personal use. In San Diego, patients typically invest in:

• Medical screening
• Hormone stimulation
• Egg retrieval procedure
• Cryopreservation and annual storage fees

If purchasing donor eggs:

• Cost of egg lots and shipping
• Cost of thawing the eggs, creating embryos, and PGT-A testing
• Cost of frozen embryo transfer

The Emotional Landscape

While the medical aspects of egg freezing and fertility are well-researched, the emotional considerations are equally critical. For egg donors, the excitement to give a gift that truly changes the world for families. For egg recipients, the choice to use a donor egg can give peace, hope, and excitement for the future.

“We never rush these conversations,” notes Dr. Hosseinzadeh. “We educate, listen, and support—because this is a human experience before it’s ever a clinical one.”

At EggDonorsSanDiego.com, patients receive one-on-one support directly from Dr. Hosseinzadeh—ensuring every concern is addressed with empathy and clarity.

When to Consider Egg Freezing

Whether you’re a potential donor or a hopeful parent, you may want to explore egg freezing if:

• You’re under age 35 and want to preserve fertility for future family-building
• You’re interested in becoming an egg donor and want flexible options
• You’re considering donor egg IVF and want immediate access to embryos
• You’re facing medical treatment that could impact egg quality and age

Each case is unique, which is why personalized care remains at the heart of everything we do.

FAQ: Egg Freezing for Donors and Recipients