By Lori Ewing
MANCHESTER, England, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Moves by Chelsea and the Spanish football federation to offer egg freezing to players are "incredibly progressive", but safeguards are crucial to ensure women do not feel pressured to delay motherhood, FIFPRO's Alex Culvin said.
Chelsea became in August the first Women's Super League club to fund egg freezing and other fertility treatment for players, while Spain's football federation (RFEF) announced an agreement last month giving eligible national team players access to treatments including egg freezing and IVF.
"If you simplify it objectively, it's incredibly progressive for the clubs to be able to offer this service to players," said Culvin, the Director of Women's Football for global players' union FIFPRO.
Although the initiatives have been welcomed by some players, they have also raised concerns that employer-funded fertility treatment could turn the option of postponing pregnancy into an expectation.
Spanish Olympic triple jumper Ana Peleteiro-Compaore was among those voicing concern.
"The problem obviously isn't freezing eggs," she said in an Instagram video. "The problem is: why does the institution these women work for have an interest in financing them to delay their motherhood? And here there's a problem that for me changes absolutely everything."
Culvin said greater reproductive choice was a significant step forward, provided the decision remained with the player.
"Like any policy, the devil's in the detail," Culvin said. "But what I would say is that if you start with player choice, that is incredibly important. (Because) every player will have a different perception."
DELAYING PREGNANCY
Spain and London City midfielder Alexia Putellas welcomed the possibility of delaying pregnancy until after her career, saying athletes are "serving your country against your biological clock" and "can't just stop and become a mother, because you need your body to do your job".
RFEF said its agreement with Madrid fertility clinic Tambre was intended to give women greater freedom over decisions about motherhood.
Culvin said players' circumstances varied considerably, making education and individual choice crucial.
"Education is really important, the empowerment of players to understand that it is an individual choice," she said.
That choice must be backed by safeguards allowing players to raise concerns if they feel pressured, she added.
Chelsea's initiative also funds other fertility services, including IVF and gynaecological care.
Culvin stressed such initiatives should sit alongside maternity protections that allow players to have children during their careers.
FIFA's 2024 policy guarantees players and coaches at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, while adding protections covering adoption, family leave, menstrual health and players returning after pregnancy.
"Having a policy in place is important, but equally (important) is having the maternity protections, but also the potential protections to ensure players feel safe in making an individual choice whether to freeze or not to freeze," Culvin said.
The key, she added, was ensuring women have the information and protections to make decisions about their careers and families without "obligation or pressure".
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing byu Ed Osmond)