Recently, I started researching something that many friends are considering: egg freezing. And honestly, the topic is more accessible than I thought, although it obviously has its cost.

It all started when I saw Griselda Siciliani on 'Envidiosa' discussing the topic very openly. The pressure of the biological clock is a serious matter, but the interesting thing is that today women have an option that didn’t exist before: they can buy more time literally.

In 2022, a woman named Olimpia (changed her name for privacy) decided to preserve her eggs at age 35. Why that age? Because after 35, egg quality begins to decline noticeably. Now she has 9 frozen eggs and pays $42,000 monthly for maintenance. But this was a few years ago when the dollar exchange rate was different.

Today, the cost of freezing eggs in Argentina ranges around $2500 to $3000 USD according to the Argentine Society of Reproductive Medicine. This includes consultations, ultrasounds, extraction, and vitrification. Additional medication costs about $2500 USD. And then there’s maintenance: between $400 and $500 USD per year.

What surprised me is that each year, 4,000 women decide to do this in Argentina. A 20% increase every 12 months. And the most interesting part: the average age has decreased. In 2016, 25% of women freezing eggs for social reasons were 40 or older. Now, only 9%. People are starting at a younger age.

I spoke (metaphorically) with Sergio Pasqualini, who founded the Hálitus Institute in 1987 and is a pioneer in this field. He says the average consultation age today is 33 years. His recommendation is that every woman under 35 should assess her ovarian reserve. Basically, it’s like a reproductive life insurance.

Laura Kopcow from Pregna was very clear: the peak fertility is between 18 and 24 years. After 24, it starts to decline, but after 35, it becomes more noticeable. After 40, it’s a free fall. But here’s the key point: if you freeze eggs at 28 and use them at 48, the quality is the same as when you were 28. Eggs don’t expire in liquid nitrogen.

Ultimately, the cost of freezing eggs depends on many variables, but the range is quite clear. What’s less clear is how many women know this exists. There seems to be a disconnect between how women feel at 40—(young, with a healthy lifestyle)—and the biological reality of the reproductive clock.

One detail: in Argentina, there’s a law that requires health insurance plans to cover the second phase of treatment if you need to fertilize and implant frozen eggs. And if you have a cancer diagnosis, they cover the full treatment and the first year of maintenance.

So yes, you can buy more time. The question isn’t whether you can, but whether it makes sense for you right now.