title: Oocyte banking for anticipated gamete exhaustion (AGE) is a preventive intervention, neither social nor nonmedical.
abstract: The scope of female fertility preservation through cryopreservation of oocytes or ovarian cortex has widened from mainly oncological indications to a variety of fertility-threatening conditions. So far, no specific universally accepted denomination name has been given to cryopreservation of oocytes or ovarian cortex for the prevention of age-related fertility decline. We argue that the commonly used phrases 'social' and 'nonmedical freezing' to denote the indication for cryopreservation are not entirely correct. We suggest 'AGE banking', as this has not only the advantage of being catchy but also depicts the exact indication for the strategy, anticipated gamete exhaustion.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive Medicine, UZ Brussel of the Dutch Speaking Free University of Brussels, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: dominicstoop@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stoop
authors.affiliation: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fulco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van der Veen
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, UZ Brussel of the Dutch Speaking Free University of Brussels, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deneyer
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive Medicine, UZ Brussel of the Dutch Speaking Free University of Brussels, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nekkebroeck
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive Medicine, UZ Brussel of the Dutch Speaking Free University of Brussels, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tournaye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018070:Biological Specimen Banks; D015925:Cryopreservation; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009865:Oocytes; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D012925:Social Conformity
keywords: AGE banking; age-related fertility decline; elective freezing; fertility preservation; ovarian ageing; social freezing