I am 32 years old, I love what I do, and have zero mental space to think of anything else right now. I am married and have who I believe, is the best partner in the world for me. We have decided that we don’t want kids, but I being me, know that unlike him, I might change my mind and may not have a choice in the future. For an independent woman, having the option to make a choice is critical. It’s the reason I decided to opt for oocyte cryopreservation, or what’s call egg freezing in simple terms. It’s a process through which oocytes or eggs are extracted, frozen and stored as a method to preserve reproductive potential in women of reproductive age. It’s a sort of insurance to protect my rights if and when I change my mind. 

But, then suddenly, patriarchy came knocking! It’s something I hadn’t accounted for. I realised that to be able to go ahead with the procedure, I needed to provide my husband’s details. I don’t necessarily need to provide this information when I personally and individually decide to launch a company, or buy a piece of real estate. Eight fertility labs have after a discussion, refused to work with me as an independent. They are unwilling to move ahead after learning that I am married and that my husband isn’t part of this discussion.