Editing In vitro fertilisation (section)

===Cryopreservation===
{{Main|Oocyte cryopreservation|Embryo cryopreservation}}
[[Cryopreservation]] can be performed as [[oocyte cryopreservation]] before fertilisation, or as [[embryo cryopreservation]] after fertilisation.

The Rand Consulting Group has estimated there to be 400,000 frozen embryos in the United States in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/07/souls_on_ice.html |title=Souls On Ice: America's Embryo Glut and the Wasted Promise of Stem Cell Research|publisher=Motherjones.com |date=July–August 2006 | vauthors = Mundy L }}</ref> The advantage is that patients who fail to conceive may become pregnant using such embryos without having to go through a full IVF cycle. Or, if pregnancy occurred, they could return later for another pregnancy.  Spare oocytes or embryos resulting from fertility treatments may be used for [[oocyte donation]] or [[embryo donation]] to another aspiring parent, and embryos may be created, frozen and stored specifically for transfer and donation by using donor eggs and sperm. Also, oocyte cryopreservation can be used for those who are likely to lose their ovarian reserve due to undergoing [[chemotherapy]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Porcu E, Fabbri R, Damiano G, Fratto R, Giunchi S, Venturoli S | title = Oocyte cryopreservation in oncological patients | journal = European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology | volume = 113 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = S14–S16 | date = April 2004 | pmid = 15041124 | doi = 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2003.11.004 }}</ref>

By 2017, many centres have adopted embryo cryopreservation as their primary IVF therapy, and perform few or no fresh embryo transfers.  The two main reasons for this have been better endometrial receptivity when embryos are transferred in cycles without exposure to ovarian stimulation and also the ability to store the embryos while awaiting the results of [[Preimplantation genetic diagnosis|preimplantation genetic testing]].

The outcome from using cryopreserved embryos has uniformly been positive with no increase in birth defects or development abnormalities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.givf.com/fertility/embryofreezing.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521111033/http://www.givf.com/fertility/embryofreezing.cfm |archive-date=21 May 2009 |title=Genetics & IVF Institute |publisher=Givf.com |url-status=dead |access-date=2 November 2016}}</ref>