Facebook And Apple Will Pay For Women To Harvest And Freeze Their Eggs

Apparently, Facebook and Apple want to be on more than just the cutting edge of consumer technology.

In January, Apple will join Facebook as one of the first large companies to offer employees coverage for egg freezing for non-medical reasons, representatives told NBC News. Coverage for the procedure -- which can offer women a more flexible schedule when it comes to deciding when or if to have children -- may appeal to young, career-driven employees and entice more women to join the companies.

The procedure can be expensive -- a single round of egg harvesting can cost at least $10,000, and doctors usually suggest two passes, the Atlantic notes -- but with benefits that cover up to $20,000 in egg freezing costs, Apple and Facebook's investment in their employees' health could pay off, NBC reports.

"The benefit will likely encourage women to stay with their employer longer, cutting down on recruiting and hiring costs," the outlet writes. "And practically speaking, when women freeze their eggs early, firms may save on pregnancy costs in the long run."

Facebook declined to comment when reached by The Huffington Post; Apple did not immediately respond for a request for comment.

Though the method isn't always successful, some specialists stand behind the advantages of the technology.

“Egg-freezing provides a very good chance of healthy genetic motherhood for those women into their forties without facing the horror of repeated miscarriage, which tends to occur because of age and poor egg quality,” United Kingdom fertility specialist Dr. Gillian Lockwood told Newsweek in August, explaining the prime time for egg freezing is when women are in their late teens or 20s.

An April Bloomberg Businessweek piece, titled "Later, Baby: Will Freezing Your Eggs Free Your Career?" explores the liberties egg freezing could afford younger women. Author Emma Rosenblum writes:

Imagine a world in which life isn’t dictated by a biological clock. If a 25-year-old banks her eggs and, at 35, is up for a huge promotion, she can go for it wholeheartedly without worrying about missing out on having a baby. She can also hold out for the man or woman of her dreams. Doctors hope that within the next 30 years the procedure will become a routine part of women’s health, and generous would-be grandparents will cover it as they would a first-mortgage down payment.