Between Ambition and Uncertainty: What Drives Young Women to Consider Social Freezing?

Abstract

Social egg freezing has increasingly become a topic of public discussion in recent years. It means the cryopreservation (freezing) of human unfertilized egg cells, which enables women to postpone pregnancy to a later age. The discussion has often focused on the normative implications of this technological innovation in reproductive medicine and on the reasons that motivate women to use it. Our study analyzes the covariates of the desire to use social freezing. We model this desire based on a broad rational choice model of decision making. In this theoretical framework, we consider the specific constraints and costs that determine this consideration, but also the benefits that drive the desire to use social freezing in the future. We particularly focus on career ambitions, gender roles, specific benefits and constraints, as well as social norms concerning social freezing. We test this broad rational choice model based on a survey among university students (N = 805) at the University of Zurich conducted in 2023, focusing on a population segment that is especially inclined to consider the utilization of social freezing. Our empirical results show that the desire to use social freezing is driven by both tangible benefits, such as enhanced career prospects and more time to find a suitable partner, and normative benefits, like increased reproductive autonomy. However, the high financial costs of the procedure significantly inhibit potential uptake. Broader attitudes toward gender roles and career orientation also influence these desires, though more immediate cost-benefit considerations largely mediate their effects.