Sociodemographic profile of women seeking elective egg freezing when financed by the public healthcare system

Research question: What is the sociodemographic profile of women requesting elective egg freezing (EEF) in France, in the context of full health insurance coverage for this procedure since 2021? Design: A cross-sectional prospective survey study was conducted from November 2022 to April 2024, exploring sociodemographic profile, motivations, communication about the procedure in France, intentions to request sperm donation, and attitudes in the case of non-use of stored oocytes. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups of women based on their answers. Results: Women requesting EEF had a median age of 35.35 (IQR 33.85-36.08) years, were single (72.2%), and resided in urban areas (92.2%). The majority belonged to a high socioprofessional category (68.3%). Nearly two-thirds (64.4%) of these women stated that they would not have considered EEF if it had not been covered by the national healthcare system. The main reason for applying for EEF was the absence of a suitable partner (64%). Regarding future parenting plans, 8.9% of women had registered for sperm donation in addition to EEF. In the case of non-use of their stored oocytes, more than half of the women (58%) would consider donating them (48% to a couple exclusively, 10% to research or a couple). A significant proportion of women (26.1%) were in a heterosexual relationship at the time of EEF. Conclusion: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to show that full insurance coverage of EEF has little impact on the sociodemographic profile of women requesting it in France compared with similar data published in studies from countries in which patients bear the cost of EEF.