Is It Halal to Freeze Eggs?
Egg freezing is a well-established medical procedure that is based on decades of scientific and technological research. In fact, the first reported human birth from a frozen egg took place in 1986. It is a safe method of fertility preservation that doesn’t affect the health of babies born from those eggs and the chance of a successful pregnancy can be over 70% for women who opt to freeze their eggs before the age of 35. but if you hold a religious belief, in our case Islam, things might get somewhat complicated. Here we want to know whether it’s fine by the tenets of Islam to freeze eggs.
Read more about : Surrogacy in Islam Sunni
Read more about : Is IVF Allowed in Islam?
Read more about : Egg donation in Iran
Is Egg Freezing Permissible in Islam?
Short Answer:
Freezing of eggs and sperm, through cryopreservation, is allowed when the husband or wife would go through radiotherapy or chemotherapy. The eggs or sperm may then be used for IVF and subsequent implantation after the course of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, given that the husband and wife are within a valid marriage during the time of ART.
Long Answer:
It has been declared for a couple of years now by Islamic Sunni ( which account for 90% of Muslims around the world ) authorities that the process of egg-freezing is “permissible, and there is no Islamic prohibition of it if it is carried out under four conditions.” The idea is that women can freeze their eggs provided that the eggs are fertilized within the (future) marriage. The four requirements are:
. Eggs must be fertilized by the sperms of the husband while the couple is married, and not after the marriage is over, such as in cases of divorce, or death;
. Fertilized eggs must be kept completely safe and under strict control, preventing intentional or inadvertent mixing with other preserved eggs;
. A fertilized egg must not be placed inside the womb of a woman who did not originally produce the egg, and eggs may not be donated;
. Egg freezing must not pose negative side effects on the fetus due to the impact of the various factors that they may be exposed to during the process, such as those that could induce birth defects or mental retardation later.
This Fatwa goes to the heart of the general premise in Islam that assisted reproductive technology is permissible, and maybe even encouraged, so long as the sperm and egg come from the married couple and no other party is involved. That is why surrogacy, for example, is not permissible (under the Sunni school of thought).
Iran, which is comprised of a predominantly Shia population, is the only Muslim country which has allowed the use of surrogacy, as well as egg, sperm and embryo donation.
About Iranian Surgery
Iranian surgery is an online medical tourism platform where you can find the best doctors and fertility specialists in Iran. The price of IVF in Iran can vary according to each individual’s case and will be determined by an in-person assessment with the doctor.
For more information about the cost of IVF in Iran and to schedule an appointment in advance, you can contact Iranian Surgery consultants via WhatsApp number 0098 901 929 0946. This service is completely free.
Source:
Egg Freezing Permissible in Islam, According to Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta