THEn Italy an egg cryopreservation cycle can cost up to 7,000 euros, to which annual conservation costs are added. The National Health System does cover the expenses for those undergoing oncology courses. All the others either spend or give up. Nevertheless freezing eggs when fertility is at its peak, to use them later, would be an appropriate measure in these times, useful to many women who – as a matter of fact – have children later. Also useful for society, marked by a record birth rate. This is why the Stati Fresche collective has launched a petition to ask for social freezing to be covered by the NHS.
Egg freezing, the “Let’s stay fresh” petition so that it is no longer a luxury for the few
While in France cryopreservation is recognized as public prevention (it is free for women between twenty-nine and thirty-seven years old), in Italy it is not covered by the National Health Service. This unless there are oncological pathologies or necessary medical treatments that could significantly affect reproductive capacity: in that case the procedure is reimbursed.
«We ask», explain the promoters, «to make the preservation of fertility a right, not a luxury, including it in the LEAs up to the age of 40 also for non-oncological reasons, and to amend Law 40/2004 to recognize preservation as an autonomous prevention and self-determination measure, distinct from PMA”.
Cryopreservation: how much social freezing costs
The proposal is based on various principles such as “equity and access” making the procedure less economically burdensome, “transparency” through the creation of a National Cryopreservation Registry to monitor access, times, outcomes and costs, “standards and capillarity” to strengthen the public network with dedicated regional hubs, “prevention and culture” promoting information and awareness on the topic. «Not all of us want or can decide now. But we should all be able to choose.”
In fact, some initiatives to make social freezing a right have been launched in Italy. Last June, the Puglia region chose to provide a one-off bonus of three thousand euros to women between twenty-seven and thirty-seven (with an ISEE equal to or less than thirty thousand euros) who choose to freeze their eggs.
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