Number of women freezing their eggs rose 54% during Covid because lockdowns sparked widespread anxiety about finding ‘the one’

The number of women opting to freeze their eggs soared during the Covid pandemic because lockdowns caused widespread anxiety about meeting a partner, a top fertility expert has said.

Professor Geeta Nargund, head of one of the UK’s largest private IVF providers, revealed demand for egg-freezing services at her clinics jumped to record levels during the coronavirus outbreak.

Create Fertility saw a 54 per cent uptick from 2020 to 2022 in the number of women seeking to preserve embryos.

Prof Nargund, lead consultant for reproductive medicine services at St George’s NHS Hospital, London, said: ‘Due to social-distancing during lockdown, women were not able to date or meet potential partners easily. They were also aware that their biological clock was ticking.

‘Along with the uncertainty people felt as a result of the lockdowns, this was a perfect storm.’

Prof Nargund said there were other factors driving the rise, such as firms offering to pay for the service as a perk for female staff and the recent cost-of-living jump.