Bride and Groom Expo
Considering delaying motherhood? Freeze your eggs before 35, expert advises
Speaking at the Bride & Groom Expo 2026, fertility specialist Dr Edward Tamale Ssali encouraged women who are not yet ready to start a family to consider freezing their eggs before the age of 35, when egg quality is generally at its best.
Speaking at the Bride & Groom Expo 2026, fertility specialist Dr Edward Tamale Ssali encouraged women who are not yet ready to start a family to consider freezing their eggs before the age of 35. (Photo by Maria Wamala)
By: Jackie Achan, Journalist @New Vision
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The pressure to race against the biological clock may no longer define a woman’s journey to motherhood. Advances in reproductive medicine are giving women and men more options than ever before, from egg freezing and in Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) to surrogacy and gender selection.
Speaking at the Bride & Groom Expo 2026, fertility specialist Dr Edward Tamale Ssali encouraged women who are not yet ready to start a family to consider freezing their eggs before the age of 35, when egg quality is generally at its best.
Dr Ssali, founder and lead gynaecologist at Women Hospital International & Fertility Centre, said modern reproductive medicine has transformed fertility care, enabling many people who once believed they could never have children to become parents.
He said women pursuing higher education, building careers or waiting for the right partner should consider preserving their fertility while they are younger.
According to Dr Ssali, eggs frozen at or before the age of 35 can be stored for many years and later used to achieve pregnancy, allowing women to have biological children long after the eggs were collected.
For couples experiencing infertility, he said, assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF continue to offer hope. Women who cannot conceive naturally may benefit from IVF, while those who cannot safely carry a pregnancy may consider surrogacy.
Dr Ssali said the fertility centre has helped nearly 200 couples have children through fertility treatment. He also encouraged men diagnosed with low sperm count not to lose hope, noting that male infertility can often be addressed through IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies.
Dr Ssali added that gender selection is also possible in some circumstances for couples seeking a child of a particular sex, although he acknowledged that such requests are often driven by cultural expectations.
Recalling one case, he described how a man of Arab descent living in Malawi travelled to Zambia to seek treatment after fathering two daughters and facing family pressure to have a son. “He was not being respected because he had only girls. We helped him, and the family later had two boys,” Dr Ssali said.
According to Dr Ssali, eggs frozen at or before the age of 35 can be stored for many years and later used to achieve pregnancy, allowing women to have biological children long after the eggs were collected.
For couples experiencing infertility, he said, assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF continue to offer hope. Women who cannot conceive naturally may benefit from IVF, while those who cannot safely carry a pregnancy may consider surrogacy.
Dr Ssali said the fertility centre has helped nearly 200 couples have children through fertility treatment. He also encouraged men diagnosed with low sperm count not to lose hope, noting that male infertility can often be addressed through IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies.
Dr Ssali added that gender selection is also possible in some circumstances for couples seeking a child of a particular sex, although he acknowledged that such requests are often driven by cultural expectations.
Recalling one case, he described how a man of Arab descent living in Malawi travelled to Zambia to seek treatment after fathering two daughters and facing family pressure to have a son. “He was not being respected because he had only girls. We helped him, and the family later had two boys,” Dr Ssali said.
He emphasised that advances in reproductive medicine continue to provide solutions for both women and men experiencing fertility challenges, giving many couples renewed hope of becoming parents despite age-related or medical difficulties.
The Bride and Groom Expo 2026 is sponsored by Pepsi, Bella Wines and Looks Bespoke, in partnership with Sheraton Kampala Hotel, Oppein Uganda and Roke Telecom.