Egg Freezing Technology : Women’s Bodies and Biomedicalization

Abstract

This research explores the perspectives of women who have chosen to use egg freezing technology to prolong their reproductive fertility for various reasons. It also analyzes how this technology impacts their bodies, identities, social lives, and the risks associated with the entire process of egg freezing. The data and narratives presented in this paper were gathered from in-depth interviews with two primary sample groups; five physicians experienced in egg freezing technology and 20 women who had undergone the egg freezing process. The analysis was conducted based on the concept of biomedicalization of reproductive aging.

The study found that women’s decisions to freeze their eggs were influenced by the advancements in assisted reproductive technology for female fertility preservation, as well as numerous sociocultural factors. Egg freezing technology plays a significant role in managing the body to maintain women’s ability to have children. It serves as a technique for creating a technoscientific identity based on an individual’s desires while also destabilizing existing identities. However, while egg freezing technology provides women with hope and possibilities in their social lives, it can also pose medical risks through procedures that affect their bodies and sensations. Furthermore, although egg freezing technology creates options and expands opportunities for women to reproduce, aiding in negotiating societal expectations of motherhood, those choices may not fully represent all women's autonomy. Ultimately, women’s choices are still influenced by their social power and class in society.