Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez documents egg freezing process, addresses gender disparities in public scrutiny
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez opened up about her decision to freeze her eggs, documenting parts of the fertility preservation process while addressing the different expectations women face when it comes to family planning.
On August 8, Ocasio-Cortez shared a series of Instagram Stories showing herself undergoing the process. She explained, “This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” adding that it’s something she had wanted to do for a long time.
The congresswoman also spoke about the gender disparities that women face, a level of scrutiny that men typically do not.
“This is not something men deal with,” she said. “Men run for office and interview for jobs and people don’t think in the back of their mind, ‘how old is he, is he going to want to start a family?’”
“People don’t go down those rabbit holes and fixate on that for men the way they do for women,” she added.
Ocasio-Cortez also shared a glimpse of her administering a fertility injection alongside her French bulldog, Deco, walking followers through the medicine used in the process.
She explained that patients typically inject hormones for 10 to 12 days to help eggs mature before undergoing a separate outpatient procedure to retrieve them for freezing. The eggs can potentially be fertilized later through in vitro fertilization.
In another clip, Ocasio-Cortez said she planned to give herself an injection in the green room before a scheduled Sunday show appearance.
“I want you all to see that. Because women can do anything. And I think it’s bada** 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,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez later discussed her decision to speak publicly about the process during an interview with ABC News’ This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
“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.
Ocasio-Cortez has been a critic of the Trump administration’s approach to reproductive health, arguing that it has made pregnancy in the United States more dangerous than at any point in roughly three decades. She accused the administration of politicizing decisions surrounding pregnancy and limiting women’s choices.
The congresswoman also addressed speculation about whether she could eventually run for president.
“I’m focused on winning the midterms, I’m running for Congress right now. I haven’t ruled out the possibility and I’m very humbled by the tremendous amount of support out there,” she said.
“We have a responsibility to remain focused on the midterms and not on our individual aspirations or plans,” she added.
Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the progressive group who call themselves ‘The Squad,’ was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress when she won her seat in 2018 and was sworn in January 2019, representing New York’s 14th District at 29. She has since remained a prominent advocate for reproductive rights and a vocal critic of the Trump administration.