Pressing Pause: Exploring the Irish experience of social egg freezing as contested and contingent autonomy

Social egg freezing (SEF) is an increasingly common practice of assisted reproductive technology (ART) that has a complex, contingent relationship with gender, autonomy, parenthood, commerce, and legislation. In the Irish context, ART exists in a legislative vacuum with ambiguity around the status of gametes and embryos, and the functioning of private fertility clinics. Within this context, this study aims to advance current social, ethical and cultural debates on SEF using Ireland as a case study via the following research question: what are the experiences, rationale and perspectives of women in Ireland who are considering, going through, and have completed SEF? We explore the conceptual and commercial context of SEF before drawing on semi-structured interviews, within an instrumental case study frame, to represent the different stages of the process: thinking about, going through, and completion of egg freezing. The findings explore how women navigate the gendered demands of fertility and future working lives, and the commercial imperatives and care needs underpinning an uncertain reproductive journey. The analysis contributes to a number of current debates within SEF literature including, a pandemic-specific intensification of temporal experience, the internalisation of the risks and responsibilities of work-family conflict, and perspectives on the non-use and disposal of eggs. The study raises several socio-cultural concerns around the experience of autonomy and consent, pointing to the importance of future research that concentrates on the non-use and disposal of eggs, and the sources and veracity of information for women considering egg freezing. • Extends social, ethical and cultural debates on SEF using Ireland as a case study. • SEF as site of contest between fertility and careers, and commerce and compassion. • Supports disentanglement, temporal intensification, and risk internalisation. • Highlights complexity of perspectives on non-use and disposal of eggs.