Delayed marriage and instability are reshaping reproductive decisions.
TEHRAN, IRAN
A growing number of Iranian women are freezing their eggs as delayed marriage, economic insecurity and social change complicate decisions about motherhood. Fertility specialists say the procedure, previously associated mainly with cancer treatment and other medical conditions, is increasingly being requested for personal reasons. Some women have not found a suitable partner, while others cite migration, marital uncertainty, war and the rising cost of raising a child. Egg freezing offers additional time, but it cannot guarantee a future pregnancy.
The procedure has become significantly more expensive as Iran struggles with inflation and limited access to some medicines. In private hospitals, egg retrieval can cost approximately 80 million tomans, while public facilities may charge around half that amount. Hormonal injections, consultations, laboratory tests, scans and annual storage fees add substantially to the final bill. One woman reported that prices nearly doubled during the six months between her decision and the procedure, while another described visiting several pharmacies to locate the prescribed drugs.
Single women also face cultural and institutional obstacles beyond cost. Concerns about virginity and the possibility of damaging the hymen can influence how eggs are retrieved, particularly in conservative families and communities. Although Iranian lawmakers approved basic insurance coverage for egg freezing among unmarried women over thirty, fertility specialists say the measure has not been fully implemented. Insurance generally covers preservation only when a medical condition or treatment threatens fertility, leaving many women to finance elective procedures themselves.
The trend is emerging as Iran confronts falling birth rates and fewer registered marriages. Official population data indicate that approximately 6.93 million women between fifteen and forty nine are unmarried, while annual births have continued to decline. Specialists warn that many patients consider preservation only after thirty five, when both egg quantity and quality are more likely to have diminished. Even successfully frozen eggs may not fertilize, develop into viable embryos or result in a live birth, making transparent counseling essential before women undertake an expensive and physically demanding process.
Beyond the headline, the whole picture. / Más allá del titular, la imagen completa.