An insurance policy with no guarantee - the complex issue of egg freezing in sport
Elite female athletes are increasingly turning to egg freezing to preserve their fertility while managing the physical demands of professional sports. While some clubs are beginning to support this practice, experts warn that it does not guarantee future pregnancy.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of professional career longevity and reproductive health for women in high-performance fields.
Figure caption, Should female athletes consider egg freezing?
"I remember waking up in the morning and I couldn't stand. I was bent over in two. I could barely walk."
For Geva Mentor - England netball's most decorated player - this was the reality of going through the process of having her eggs frozen in 2019.
"I had just played in my fourth World Cup and I was at a bit of a loss in terms of where my life was going personally, as I always wanted a family," Mentor tells BBC Sport.
Egg freezing is a process in which a woman's eggs are collected, frozen and stored for potential use later in life.
While Mentor's decision was a deeply personal one, the issue is becoming increasingly visible in elite sport, with both Chelsea and the Spanish Football Federation recently announcing support for players wanting to freeze their eggs.
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