U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 36, has begun the process of freezing her eggs, documenting the journey on social media and sharing her decision as a means of feeling more in control of her life. The congresswoman stated on Instagram that she had been contemplating and saving for the procedure for some time, choosing to start during a congressional recess.

Egg freezing involves retrieving unfertilized eggs from a woman's ovaries and storing them at subzero temperatures for later fertilization. The success of having a child from frozen eggs is influenced by several factors, primarily the age of the woman when the eggs are frozen and the total number of mature eggs stored. According to a study published in Fertility and Sterility, pregnancy success rates increase with the number of eggs stored. For women under 40:

  • Fewer than 10 eggs frozen: 58.3% success rate.
  • 10 to 14 eggs: 66.7% success rate.
  • 15 to 19 eggs: 67.9% success rate.
  • 20 or more eggs: 81.8% success rate.

However, experts caution that not every frozen egg leads to a viable pregnancy. The process, which is similar to the initial stages of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and includes hormone injections, bloodwork, and a minor surgical procedure, involves multiple hurdles. Approximately 80% to 90% of eggs survive thawing, about 75% are successfully fertilized, less than half develop into blastocysts (an early embryo stage), and roughly 40% of fresh embryo transfers result in a live birth. This means that out of 20 frozen mature eggs, potentially 12 could be fertilized, seven could become blastocysts, and an embryo would still need to implant and develop successfully.

Age significantly impacts both the quantity and quality of eggs retrievable. The same Fertility and Sterility study indicated that live birth success rates decrease with age. Women who froze at least 20 eggs before age 35 had an 88.9% chance of a live birth, compared to 80% for those aged 35 to 37, and 72.7% for women aged 38 to 40. Experts generally recommend freezing eggs in the late 20s or early 30s, as younger eggs are more likely to be successful and have a greater potential over a woman's reproductive lifetime. Nonetheless, the procedure can be undertaken at any age a woman feels ready.

Technological advancements, particularly vitrification or flash-freezing, which largely replaced slower methods in the mid-2000s, have dramatically improved egg survival rates after thawing, from approximately 65% to 85%. Fertilization rates have also seen a boost with vitrification.

Despite the increasing popularity of egg freezing, with planned cycles nearly quadrupling from 4,153 in 2014 to 16,436 in 2021, a significant majority of women do not end up using their frozen eggs. A 2026 review found that after 10 years, 81% of women who froze eggs between ages 34 and 38 were still storing them, with only 7.6% having thawed them. Reasons for not using them vary, including conceiving naturally, using IVF with fresh eggs, not yet reaching the desire to use them, or not having found a partner. Egg freezing thus preserves the possibility of future parenthood rather than guaranteeing it.