Abstract Problem statement Oocyte cryopreservation for non-medical reasons has been widely promoted among young women who tend to delay their reproduction. As the methodology has proved its safety and efficiency in the field of assisted reproduction technology and the embryo laboratory, the interest in oocyte cryopreservation has increased highly. However, do social freezers ever come back and use these oocytes, or they keep them as a safety boat with no real near-future plans for reproduction? Methods The following study has been performed as a retrospective analysis of 296 women who had oocyte freezing procedure for non-medical (social) reasons, medical conditions (oncological treatment) and oocyte donation from January 2013 to June 2023 at Medical Complex Ob/Gyn “Dr Shterev” – Sofia, Bulgaria. Results Throughout the observed period, 190 women with 221 procedures vitrified their oocytes for future use. Only 9.47% of them had medical conditions and 7.36% were hindered to use their reproductive gametes at the day of the oocyte retrieval (absence of spermatozoa, sickness). The average age of the women in this group was 35.59 ± 1.5 years and the mean number of cryopreserved oocytes was 5.63 ± 1.4 per women. Compared to social cryopreserves, and bound to the Bulgarian legislation, the 106 women who donated their oocytes were younger (28.86 ± 1.5 years (p &lt; 0.05)) with 7.34 ± 1.7 (p &lt; 0.05) cryopreserved oocytes per donor. As the clinic has well represented program for oocyte donation 82.1% of the donors were used. In result, there were 37 clinical pregnancies with 47 children born. In the same period, only 46 (24.2%) women who stored their own gametes in our cryobank came back and claimed them for assisted reproduction. Nine clinical pregnancies had been registered and 10 children were born. An intriguing fact we can point from the medical history of the clear social freezers (SF) is the record of previous procedure(s) for abortion on demand. It was reported for 12% of the women in this group. Conclusion According to the results we observed as evident that patients need more clarity towards the procedures for oocyte cryopreservation and consequent fertility treatment. We should rise more awareness to the most preferable age for cryopreservation and number of oocytes to be stored.

D. Dyulgerova-Nikolova

I. Antonova

L. Valkova

T. Timeva

M. Yunakova

T. Milachich

Acta Medica Bulgarica

About 30 years ago - in 1973, on the initiative of the Publishing House „Medicine and Physical Culture", namely its former director Mr. Traian Ivanov, the Ministry of Health set up and accepted to subsidize a new medical magazine that was to be published only in the English language and had to reflect the status and the achievements of the Bulgarian medical science.   Thus the language barrier was overcome and stable relations were established with the international medical society, large libraries, and university centers.   The famous internationally known scientist professor Assen A. Hadjiolov was elected edition-in-chief by the first editorial staff and the magazine was named Acta Medica Bulgarica.

Acta Medica Bulgarica was established in 1973, initiated by the Publishing House of Medicine and Physical Culture, under the leadership of its former director, Mr. Traian Ivanov. The Ministry of Health set up and subsidized a new medical journal that was to be published exclusively in English, aiming to reflect the status and achievements of Bulgarian medical science. This initiative overcame the language barrier and established stable relations with the international medical community, large libraries, and university centers. The renowned international scientist, Professor Assen A. Hadjiolov, was elected as the editor-in-chief by the first editorial board, and the journal was named Acta Medica Bulgarica.

《Acta Medica Bulgarica》创办于1973年，源于医学与体育文化出版社的倡议，时任社长Traian Ivanov先生的推动下，保健部设立并资助了一本新的医学杂志，该杂志仅用英语出版，旨在反映保加利亚医学科学的现状和成就。通过这一举措，克服了语言障碍，建立了与国际医学界、大型图书馆和大学中心的稳定关系。著名国际科学家Assen A. Hadjiolov教授被第一届编辑部选为主编，杂志因此命名为《Acta Medica Bulgarica》。

Aspects on Social Egg Freezing – Current State in Bulgaria

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