Recently, Apple and Facebook have announced that they are offering to pay for women to freeze their eggs, in a move that they hope “will help the companies attract more female employees.”
This plan was part of an initiative to expand benefits for women interested in or pursing a career with Apple or Facebook. The offer to freeze eggs would include benefits such as “longer parental leave, education reimbursements for all classes taken by employees and subsidized student loan refinancing.” Facebook has said it will offer up to $20,000 for egg freezing for female employees as well as other perks including adoption, surrogacy assistance, and infertility treatments.
This idea is a novelty in our society. Many women will find this attractive and many will find it uncomfortable and unappealing. In a statement, the company said “we want to empower women at Apple to do the best work of their lives as they care for loved ones and raise their families.”
Kellye Sheehan, of Women in Technology, a Washington-based organization for women in the industry, has stated that “this is a nice perk but of course it’s a very personal decision for every working woman.” There is a general consensus that many women will not want their employer to force them into something that doesn’t fit their values or personal choices.
Fertility treatments have often been used in the past for cancer patients, due to the harsh effects of chemotherapy can have on women’s eggs. Apple and Facebook are implementing this idea in order to give women a longer career before having a family.
According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, “fertility gradually declines in the 30s and drastically beginning around age 35.” The idea of freezing a working women’s eggs is also a controversial topic because there is not a guaranteed outcome of having a child, according to Marcelle Cedars, director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of California-San Francisco.
To many young women who are willing to juggle a family and carrier, this uncertainty will not be an attractive opportunity. However, for women who are not at a time where they are able to juggle both, this may be a viable option.
Technology is unbelievable. The fact that women have this option and are so in demand by important companies is extremely positive and a massive accomplishment to women in our society who work towards equality in the work force, but one also has to ask if these companies are going too far playing with nature.
Works Cited:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/15/apple-facebook-offer-freeze-eggs-female-employees
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/10/14/apple-facebook-eggs/17240953/
Images Obtained from:
http://img.ideageek.it/uploads/2013/04/apple-fb2.jpg
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/15/apple-facebook-offer-freeze-eggs-female-employees