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Decision regret among women considering planned oocyte cryopreservation: a prospective cohort study

  • Assisted Reproduction Technologies
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Abstract

Purpose

To (1) prospectively characterize the incidence of decision regret among women considering planned oocyte cryopreservation (planned OC), comparing those who pursued treatment vs those who did not freeze eggs, and (2) to identify baseline predictors for future decision regret.

Methods

A total of 173 women seen in consultation for planned OC were followed prospectively. Surveys were administered at (1) baseline (< 1 week after initial consultation) and (2) follow-up, 6 months after planned OC among participants who froze eggs or 6 months following consultation in the absence of further communication to pursue treatment. The primary outcome was the incidence of moderate-to-severe decision regret, indicated by a Decision Regret Scale score > 25. We also examined predictors of regret.

Results

The incidence of moderate-to-severe regret over the decision to freeze eggs was 9% compared to 51% over the decision not to pursue treatment. Among women who froze eggs, adequacy of information at baseline to decide about treatment (aOR 0.16, 95% CI 0.03, 0.87) and emphasis on future parenthood (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66, 0.99) were associated with reduced odds of regret. Forty-six percent of women who froze eggs regretted not doing so earlier. Among women who did not freeze eggs, the primary reasons were financial and time constraints, correlating with increased odds of decision regret in an exploratory analysis.

Conclusions

Among women undergoing planned OC, the incidence of decision regret is low compared to the regret confronting women seen in consultation for planned OC but who do not pursue treatment. Provider counseling is key to offset the regret risk.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, 499 Illinois Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA

    Eleni G. Jaswa, Lauri A. Pasch, Alexandra McGough, Rebecca Wong, Jamie Corley, Marcelle I. Cedars & Heather G. Huddleston

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Lauri A. Pasch

  3. Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alexandra McGough

Authors
  1. Eleni G. Jaswa
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  2. Lauri A. Pasch
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  3. Alexandra McGough
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  4. Rebecca Wong
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  6. Marcelle I. Cedars
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  7. Heather G. Huddleston
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eleni G. Jaswa.

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Conflict of interest

The study funder, EMD Serono, provided renumeration for participant time and effort. The funder provided financial support only and was not involved in the study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of study results. EGJ received an investigator-sponsored research grant from the study funder, EMD Serono. LP, AM, RW, JC, MIC, and HGH have nothing to disclose.

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Jaswa, E.G., Pasch, L.A., McGough, A. et al. Decision regret among women considering planned oocyte cryopreservation: a prospective cohort study. J Assist Reprod Genet 40, 1281–1290 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-023-02789-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-023-02789-w

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