“Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has started the process of freezing her eggs — and is using a vlog on Instagram to give her lefty fans mundane updates such as her taking hormonal injections.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), 36, revealed in a weekend post that she had been saving up for and contemplating the procedure for some time — hailing herself as a “badass” for taking on what tens of thousands of women have already gone through.
She said she felt “empowered” to start that process now while Congress is on its August recess.
“This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” said the prominent Big Apple leader of the Democrat Socialists of America. “And if people want to make assumptions about my decision, let them make those assumptions. I feel empowered to make this choice.”
The Bronx and Queens rep alluded to the speculation she has faced about a potential 2028 presidential run and complained that the media fails to realize that pols have other factors to consider beyond just a “craven” lust for more 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.”
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