This is one outlet's own report from Newsweek — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
AOC’s Decision To Freeze Eggs Sparks Debate: How Common Is It?
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has announced that she is freezing her eggs, prompting a public conversation about cost, age, reproductive autonomy and what egg freezing can offer women.
"This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life," the New York Democrat said over the weekend in a series of Instagram Stories about the process. The congresswoman added that she had been saving for the procedure for a long time.
Ocasio-Cortez, who plans to document the process online, has shared videos of herself administering the hormone injections involved in preparing for egg retrieval. In her posts, the 36-year-old said women are often not given enough information about their bodies and reproductive health, including about fertility, pregnancy or menopause.
Her decision, which has drawn praise and criticism, is one that has become increasingly common, with U.S. data showing that planned elective egg-freezing cycles have risen sharply over the past decade—even as many people who freeze their eggs do not return to use them within the first several years.
Newsweek contacted Ocasio-Cortez's office on Monday for comment via email.
Ocasio-Cortez has framed the decision as both a personal choice and an opportunity to educate others about fertility preservation.
On Sunday, during an appearance on ABC's This Week , she said discussing the process publicly was particularly important amid ongoing political battles over reproductive health care.
"In this political environment where this administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country ... 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," Ocasio-Cortez said.
On social media, the congresswoman shared videos of herself administering hormone injections shortly before the interview.
Ocasio-Cortez has answered questions online about the procedure, breaking down the cost of various aspects. As her insurance does not cover egg freezing, the congresswoman said, she is paying "100 percent out of pocket" and expects the procedure to cost about $8,000 to $9,000. Some clinics, depending on their care model, charge up to $16,000, she added.
The process involves two main expenses, Ocasio-Cortez said: the medication needed to stimulate the ovaries and the clinic and procedure itself. Her medication costs about $3,500.
Ocasio-Cortez said she is using a clinic in New York that also offers programs for people without medical insurance. She advised women considering egg freezing to shop around, particularly when it comes to the cost of medication.
There is also an ongoing cost to store the frozen eggs, and the congresswoman said she was quoted about $1,200 a year for storage.
Although she paid upfront for the procedure, Ocasio-Cortez said payment plans are also available.
She described the current medical system as "broken" because of what she sees as a lack of adequate fertility care for women. She also said the system has sent Americans outside the U.S. to freeze their eggs, to countries such as Spain and Mexico where the procedure is often cheaper.
The announcement has sparked discussion online about women's decisions around motherhood, career-building and fertility.
Amanda Litman, a co-founder and the president of Run for Something, called the congresswoman's decision an example of "honesty & vulnerability." CNN commentator and Democratic strategist Xochitl Hinojosa wrote on X: "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."
Political commentator Katie Miller, who served in the Trump-Pence administration, wrote on the platform: "Everyone's journey to motherhood is different, just as each of us mothers differently. I can't wait to see how motherhood changes AOC."
But not everyone was supportive of the congresswoman's announcement. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for the conservative organization Turning Point USA, wrote on X: "AOC turns 37 in a few weeks so if she got pregnant tomorrow it would already be a geriatric pregnancy. This is not female 'liberation,' it's a cautionary tale."
While Ocasio-Cortez's decision has attracted attention because of her profile, egg freezing itself has become increasingly common in the United States.
A 2025 study from UCLA Health found that the number of planned elective egg-freezing cycles in the U.S. nearly quadrupled between 2014 and 2021. The number rose from 4,153 cycles in 2014 to 16,436 in 2021.
The UCLA study also found that only 5.7 percent of women who froze their eggs between 2014 and 2016 returned to use them during the study's follow-up period of five to seven years.
According to the findings, women were freezing their eggs at younger ages. The average age fell from 36 in 2014 to 34.9 in 2021, and researchers found that return rates varied by age. Among women who froze their eggs at ages 38 to 40, 7.9 percent returned to use them, compared with 8 percent among those aged 41 to 42.
Importantly, the study found that live-birth outcomes among women who used their frozen eggs were comparable with national in vitro fertilization averages using fresh eggs, suggesting egg freezing can provide a viable option for some women seeking greater flexibility in family planning.
Egg freezing, formally known as oocyte cryopreservation, involves stimulating the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, retrieving them and freezing them for possible future use.
The CDC classifies egg and embryo cryopreservation as part of assisted reproductive technology and defines fertility preservation as a treatment cycle intended to freeze and store eggs or embryos for later use.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
