Employer-Sponsored Egg Freezing: Carrot or Stick?

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Sociology of Work
• Bioethics

Background:

• Employer-sponsored egg freezing (ESEF) is increasingly offered by companies globally.
• Academic debate exists on whether ESEF enhances reproductive autonomy or reinforces the "career vs. family" dilemma.
• Public perception of ESEF remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate women's attitudes towards employer-sponsored egg freezing in Australia.
• To explore potential demographic associations with views on ESEF.

Main Methods:

• Online cross-sectional survey of 656 women aged 18-60 in Victoria, Australia.
• Analysis of views on ESEF appropriateness using multinominal logistic regression.
• Thematic analysis of free-text comments.

Main Results:

• Women's opinions on ESEF were divided: 42% appropriate, 27% inappropriate, 31% unsure.
• Older women and part-time employees showed significantly less support for ESEF.
• Concerns included pressure to delay childbearing and exacerbate ART access inequities, while some saw potential for increased options.

Conclusions:

• ESEF is not universally opposed, but acceptance may depend on specific conditions.
• Conditions for acceptance include reproductive freedom protections and balanced support for career and family.
• Potential role for state intervention to ensure equitable implementation and conditions for ESEF.