Number of women freezing their eggs rose 54% during Covid because lockdowns sparked widespread anxiety about finding ‘the one’

The number of women choosing to freeze their eggs has soared during the Covid pandemic as lockdowns caused widespread anxiety about meeting a partner, a top fertility expert says.

Professor Geeta Nargund, head of one of Britain's largest private IVF providers, revealed that demand for egg freezing services at its clinics has risen to record levels during the coronavirus outbreak.

Create Fertility saw a 54 percent increase in the number of women wanting to preserve embryos between 2020 and 2022.

Prof Nargund, lead consultant for reproductive medicine services at St George's NHS Hospital in London, said: 'Due to social distancing during lockdown, women could not easily date or meet potential partners. They were also aware that their biological clock was ticking.

“Together with the uncertainty people felt as a result of the lockdowns, this was a perfect storm.”

Prof Nargund said there were other factors driving the increase, such as companies offering to pay for the service as a perk for female staff and the recent rise in the cost of living.