Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has begun the process of freezing her eggs, documenting parts of her experience through social media vlogs. The New York Democrat, 36, stated that she had been planning the procedure for some time and felt empowered to undertake it during Congress's August recess.
"This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life," Ocasio-Cortez said in a recent post. "And if people want to make assumptions about my decision, let them make those assumptions. I feel empowered to make this choice."
Ocasio-Cortez also addressed speculation about her political future, particularly a potential 2028 presidential run. She critiqued what she described as a limited media perspective that often views political decisions through a narrow lens of ambition for power.
"The media will run up and ask a question like, ‘Are you going to run for this? Or are you going to run for that?’ And it is almost through this very two-dimensional, craven understanding or ambitious understanding of power," she stated. "I think a lot of us actually approach these considerations or these decisions through the larger context of our lives as whole human beings and what is happening in our lives, this whole human beings."
Despite acknowledging the potential political risks of sharing personal information, Ocasio-Cortez expressed a desire to inform other women about their reproductive options and to normalize such discussions. She shared that she planned to administer hormonal injections in the waiting room of ABC News' "This Week" before an interview, stating, "I want you all to see that. And because women can do anything, and I think it’s badass that I’m going to be giving myself shots in the green room [as I] get my glam on."
Egg freezing involves harvesting unfertilized eggs from ovaries for storage at subzero temperatures, increasing the potential for pregnancy later in life as egg quality typically declines in a woman's mid-30s. The process typically requires about two weeks of hormone treatment prior to the egg retrieval.
Ocasio-Cortez highlighted the biological differences women face compared to men in career and public life. "This is just not something that men deal with," she remarked. "Men run for office, or frankly, they interview for jobs, and people don’t think in the back of their mind, ‘Okay, this guy is running for office. How old is he? Oh, well, is he going to want to start a family,’ " she said.
The congresswoman reflected on her experience of growing up in the public eye since being sworn into the House of Representatives at age 29, noting that this period often involves public scrutiny while others experience more private personal development.