Tuscany funds egg freezing for women planning motherhood in the future

TIRANA, September /ATSH/ – Italy’s Tuscany region has approved a new law providing public financial support for women who wish to freeze their eggs, to preserve their fertility for a possible future pregnancy, according to Corriere della Sera.

The law on “preserving fertility for social reasons” was approved by majority vote by the Regional Council of Tuscany on September 23, 2026. The measure aims to support so-called “social freezing”: retrieving and freezing eggs while the woman is still of reproductive age, so they can be used later if needed, through assisted reproduction techniques. Under the law, eligible women can receive up to 3,000 euros. Beneficiaries must be between 25 and 39 years old, have been resident in Tuscany for at least one year, and have an ISEE not exceeding 30,000 euros. The ISEE is the indicator used in Italy to assess a family’s economic situation. The contribution, within the 3,000-euro limit, can also be used to repeat the procedure if necessary, as well as to preserve cryoconserved eggs. Procedures must be carried out in authorized facilities, public or private, contracted with the regional health system. However, the benefit will not automatically go to all women who meet the conditions if the number of applications exceeds the planned funds. In that case, applicants with a lower ISEE will have priority and, in case of a tie, the older woman. A total of 550,000 euros is planned for the implementation of the measure: 50,000 euros for the remainder of 2026 and 250,000 euros for each of 2027 and 2028.

“Social freezing” is not a treatment for infertility. The procedure is used by women who do not necessarily have a health problem, but who for personal, social or other reasons wish to postpone pregnancy and preserve their eggs at a younger age. As a woman ages, her fertility gradually declines, so freezing eggs aims to preserve the possibility of using them in the future. Tuscany took steps for preserving fertility for social reasons as early as 2019, while the new law aims to establish more stable financial support for women who choose this procedure. According to Italian reports, Tuscany becomes the second Italian region, after Puglia, to take such a measure for financial support of “social freezing”.