Ocasio-Cortez Says She Is Freezing Her Eggs

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she is freezing her eggs and plans to share the process online, announcing the decision in a series of Instagram stories over the weekend.

"This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life," the 36-year-old New York Democrat said.

Ocasio-Cortez said she had been saving for the procedure for a very long time and that there is little accessible information for women considering it. "As women in general, we are not taught about our bodies, we are not prepared for our own lives, whether that is in puberty, whether that is in pregnancy, whether that is in perimenopause, menopause, whether that is in so many different aspects of our lives," she said.

She also described the balancing act of undergoing fertility treatment while serving in Congress, telling viewers she would take her shots in the dressing room before a scheduled ABC interview on Sunday.

"I want you all to see that," she said. "Because women can do anything. And I think it's badass that I'm gonna be giving myself shots in the green room, get my glam on, roll out, talk international events, domestic policy, elections, pop out, live my life, do my thing."

Ocasio-Cortez showed the medications and tools involved, including syringes and alcohol wipes. The process involves injecting multiple forms of medication over a period that typically lasts about 10 days or more. She joked that she would not inject herself on a live feed, quipping: "Maybe I should start an ASMR egg-freezing channel."

"Don't be weird about this, even I know though all of you will be," she said before finding an injection site on her abdomen. She exhaled, injected the medication and said, "That wasn't so bad!"

During the ABC interview, she tied the decision to the political moment. "In this political environment where this administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country, from abortion rights to the ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy, I think it's important for us as leaders to have these conversations and share these processes, especially for working women across the country and normalize them," she said.

The announcement drew praise. Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, wrote on X: "I'm just so grateful for her honesty & vulnerability." Democratic strategist Xochitl Hinojosa replied: "THIS. We don't talk about women freezing their eggs or what women have to go through to start a family. Thank you @AOC for your bravery."