Trends in patient age at planned oocyte cryopreservation

The outcome of planned oocyte cryopreservation (POC) is inversely related to the age at the time of oocyte cryopreservation commencing in the mid-30 s. We sought to evaluate whether the age of women undergoing POC has changed over the last decade.

The study employed a retrospective, observational multicenter design. It included all women who had at least one POC cycle in two large private IVF units belonging to the same medical organization in Israel. The main outcome measure was age at the first cycle. Data on the total number of women each year and their age at the first cycle were recorded.

Between 2011 and the end of 2023, 4488 women underwent POC. The average age at the first retrieval was 36.2 years (± 2.4). In 2011, the average age was 38.3 years (± 2.6), which decreased to 35.4 years (± 2.5) in 2023. The trendline indicates a decline in the average age of 3.0 months per year (β =  - 0.252, F = 301.8, p < 0.001). The proportion of women aged < 36 at their first POC cycle increased from 14% in 2011 to 54% in 2023.

The age at the time of POC has significantly declined over the past decade. This trend may potentially lead to higher overall birth rates from POC, though further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.