Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has begun the egg-freezing process and is documenting parts of the experience on Instagram, where she has shared personal updates with followers, including footage related to her hormone injections.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), 36, said in a weekend post that she had been thinking about the procedure and saving money for it for some time. She also described herself as a “badass” for moving forward with a fertility treatment that tens of thousands of women have pursued.
The congresswoman said Congress’ August recess gave her the time and space to begin the process, adding that she felt “empowered” by the decision.
“This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” said the prominent New York Democrat, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens. “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 appeared to address ongoing speculation about her political future, including chatter about a possible 2028 presidential run, while arguing that elected officials weigh major life choices for reasons that go beyond political ambition.
“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 said.
“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.”
AOC acknowledged that speaking so publicly about freezing her eggs could carry political risks, but said she wanted to help other women better understand their fertility options and make conversations about reproductive planning more normal.
The New York City congresswoman noted that she had a scheduled interview Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week” and planned on taking hormonal shots in its waiting room before going on air to discuss politics.
“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,” she said.
Egg-harvesting allows women to have some of their unfertilized eggs taken from their ovaries when younger and then store them at subzero temperatures till they are ready to have them implanted either in themselves or a surrogate.
The process increases their chances of a successful pregnancy later in life, as women’s egg quality often declines rapidly in their mid-30s.
To freeze their eggs, women have to go through about two weeks of hormone treatment before undergoing the procedure to harvest their eggs.
“This is just not something that men deal with,” AOC said.
“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.
AOC has been engaged to Riley Roberts, who has worked in marketing and web development, since 2022.
“I got sworn into the House of Representatives when I was 29 years old,” she reflected. “There’s this flip side where you have to then grow up in the public eye in a time that most people usually get to grow more privately.”
