Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the progressive “Squad,” is turning to social media for a personal reveal. The New York representative has embarked on the journey of egg freezing and is chronicling her experience on Instagram, sharing even the minutiae, such as administering hormonal injections, with her supportive followers.
At 36, Ocasio-Cortez took to the platform over the weekend to share insights into her decision, which she describes as a long-considered plan. Declaring herself a “badass” for joining the multitude of women opting for this procedure, she highlighted her readiness to tackle this transformative step.
The Congresswoman expressed a sense of empowerment in initiating this process during the August recess, a time when Congress temporarily pauses its schedule.
“This is a choice I am making to have more control over my life,” she stated emphatically, asserting her autonomy. As a leading figure in the Democrat Socialists of America, she also acknowledged that people might speculate about her decision and invited them to do so, standing firm in her sense of empowerment.
Ocasio-Cortez also addressed the ongoing rumors about her potential 2028 presidential bid. She criticized the media’s narrow focus on political ambition, reminding observers that public figures also navigate personal considerations that extend beyond mere aspirations for power.
“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 grumbled.
“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 said despite knowing that the risk of being so open could backfire on her politically, she wanted to help inform other women about their options and normalize those discussions.
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.”