The duration for storing eggs, sperm and embryos will be increased to 55 years under the government’s new plan that ministers say will give people a better choice over when to start a family.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom, Sajid Javid said that the current limit of 10 years was “severely restrictive.”

Research from the Royal College of Obstetricians has suggested that modern freezing techniques mean eggs can be stored indefinitely without deterioration. However, the plans need parliamentary approval.

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Meanwhile, the Department for Health has said that there would be extra conditions around third party donors and use of a person’s frozen cells after they have died.

Presently, when the 10 years is up, prospective parents must decide whether to undergo fertility treatment or have the cells destroyed, unless samples have been stored due to medical procedures, such as chemotherapy for cancer.

Under this new system, they would be given the option to keep or dispose of the frozen cells or embryos at 10-year intervals.

“This new legislation will help turn off the ticking clock in the back of people’s minds,” BBC reported as Javid said.

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“By making these changes, we are going to take a huge step forward – not just for giving people greater freedom over their fertility, but for equality too,” he added.

Meanwhile, British Fertility Society chairman Dr Raj Mathur welcomed the plans. He said extending the time limit “protects the ability of all our patients to make reproductive choices for themselves as individuals and couples.”

Julia Chain, chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, said that the earlier a woman froze her eggs, the better the chance of a successful IVF pregnancy later.

What is egg, sperm and embryo freezing?

The egg, sperm and embryo freezing is a way of preserving fertility by collecting and storing them so it may be possible to have a baby at a later date.

The process involves collecting around 15 eggs through IVF, cooling them quickly then storing them in tanks of liquid nitrogen.

Sperm samples are usually divided between a number of containers called straws before freezing so they can be used in multiple treatments.

Embryos are frozen during fertility treatment in case the first round is not successful or to try for a sibling.