US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently shared her decision to freeze her eggs, a move that has prompted both support and criticism, reigniting debates about women's reproductive choices, career ambitions, and societal pressures.
Ocasio-Cortez, 36, announced her decision during a live-streamed video, describing the process and her feelings of empowerment. "This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life," she stated.
However, her announcement drew sharp reactions from some commentators. Critics suggested it was a "sad fertility journey," "backwards and ridiculous," or a consequence of "feminist lies" that encourage women to delay childbearing for career advancement. Some argued that it perpetuates the idea that women can "have it all," pursuing careers into their 40s with children as an afterthought, and contributing to declining fertility rates.
Writer Clare Foges, who underwent egg freezing at age 34, shared her perspective, applauding Ocasio-Cortez's openness and advocating for the removal of shame and stigma surrounding the procedure. Foges described her own experience, noting that the £4,000 cost was "the best money I’ve ever spent" because it provided a sense of control and alleviated the preoccupation with finding a partner solely to have children. "Egg freezing lifted the preoccupation with having a baby. Dates stopped being dads-in-waiting. I lightened up," Foges wrote.
Foges emphasized that women who freeze their eggs are not under the illusion that it is a "guarantee" of having a baby, acknowledging the statistical realities of age and fertility. She noted that the number of women undergoing the procedure has increased, with data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority showing a tripling between 2020 and 2024. Foges suggested that many women choose egg freezing not solely for career advancement, but often because they have not yet met the right partner, a situation Ocasio-Cortez may also be experiencing following a recent separation from her fiancé.
Foges expressed that she would fully support her own daughters if they chose to freeze their eggs, even offering to fund the procedure not for future grandchildren, but for her daughters' peace of mind. She believes this choice offers women a way to navigate the pressures surrounding childbearing and to feel more in control of their life paths.