Ocasio-Cortez says she is freezing her eggs

Key takeaways:

Ocasio-Cortez, 36, said she has begun freezing her eggs and posted videos showing fertility medications, supplies and an injection.
She said the decision was about feeling more in control of her life and called for more open discussion of reproductive care for working women.
On ABC, Ocasio-Cortez said she had not ruled out a 2028 presidential run but said she is focused on winning the midterms and running for Congress.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she has begun the process of freezing her eggs, sharing videos of herself preparing and taking fertility medication as she urged a more open public conversation about reproductive care.

The 36-year-old New York Democrat announced the decision in a series of Instagram stories over the weekend, saying she planned to document the process online. “This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” Ocasio-Cortez said, according to The Guardian.

In the clips, Ocasio-Cortez showed medicines and supplies used in the process, including syringes and alcohol wipes. She discussed tips she had learned and answered questions about costs, clinical procedures, storage and how fertility care works under what she described as the United States’ “broken” medical system, the BBC reported.

She said she had been saving for the procedure “for a very long time” and argued that women often receive too little information about their own health. “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 in one of the Instagram stories.

Ocasio-Cortez also described fitting the treatment into her schedule as a member of Congress. She told viewers she would take shots in a dressing room before a scheduled Sunday appearance on ABC News’ This Week.

“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.”

The treatment involves injecting multiple forms of medication over a period that typically lasts around 10 days or more, The Guardian reported. In one clip, Ocasio-Cortez joked that she would not inject herself on a live feed, saying, “Maybe I should start an ASMR egg-freezing channel.” Moments before finding an injection site on her abdomen, she added, “Don’t be weird about this, even I know though all of you will be.” After administering the medication, she said: “That wasn’t so bad!”

On ABC, Ocasio-Cortez said she wanted to “normalise” discussions about egg freezing and fertility treatment, particularly given current political fights over reproductive rights.

“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.

In an earlier Instagram post, she said she wanted to share the information despite what she called a “political risk” in doing so.

Her announcement drew praise from some Democratic and progressive figures. Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, a political action committee that supports young progressive candidates, wrote on X: “I’m just so grateful for her honesty & vulnerability.” Democratic strategist Xochitl Hinojosa responded: “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.”

Ocasio-Cortez made the posts hours before appearing on ABC, where she was also asked about her political future after being shown polling reflecting her popularity as a potential presidential candidate. Asked whether she would run for president in 2028, she laughed and initially avoided a direct answer.

“I’m focused on winning the mid-terms, I’m running for Congress right now,” she said. Pressed on whether she was open to a presidential run, she said, “I haven’t ruled out the possibility and I’m very humbled to the tremendous amount of support out there.”

She added: “We have a responsibility to remain focused on the midterms and not on our individual aspirations or plans.” Asked about a possible Senate run against Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, she said “anything was possible,” the BBC reported.

The midterm elections are due in early November, with all 435 House seats and one-third of the 100 Senate seats on the ballot.