For the first time since regulations concerning in-vitro fertilization (IVF) were issued by the Health Ministry in 1987, the ministry has expanded the number of egg retrievals allowed for preserving fertility.
Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz has signed regulations that expand the maximum number of egg retrievals and the number of eggs in each cycle for this purpose. The new regulations increase the maximum number of egg-retrieval procedures allowed for women for the purpose of fertility preservation from four to six retrievals and also increase the maximum number of ova that can be retrieved from 20 to between 25 and 35.
Giving women the options
Women who have undergone fertility preservation procedures in the past will be able to perform another round, according to what they want and their age at the time of the previous retrieval.
Women who underwent the previous operation of egg extraction at the age of 30 to 35 years will be able to perform another extraction if up to 25 eggs were extracted from them in the previous operation. Women who underwent the previous operation at the age of 36 to 40 years will be allowed to undergo retrieval if up to 35 eggs were pumped from them in previous operations.
If the maximum number of eggs has already been reached in the first treatment, the amendment of the regulations will in any case allow another treatment to be performed according to the woman’s request.
The amendment was made possible in accordance with new research in the field and according to the recommendation of the National Council for Women’s Health. Work on the subject began following a private bill by MK Sharren Haskel. The new rules will go into effect when published officially in Reshumot in which official records and laws are published.