Thinking about freezing your eggs? What AOC’s story highlights about fertility preservation.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently shared something deeply personal with millions of people: at 36, she has started the process of freezing her eggs.
Ocasio-Cortez shared the news on Instagram, where she has been documenting parts of the process, including giving herself fertility medication before a television interview. She said she had been considering egg freezing for some time and had been saving to pay for the procedure herself.
The Associated Press reported on Ocasio-Cortez’s decision and her decision to talk openly about an experience many women navigate privately. Ocasio-Cortez said she hopes sharing the process will help other women better understand their fertility and options.
“This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” Ocasio-Cortez told the AP.
Her decision has put a new spotlight on egg freezing and a much broader issue: how much do people actually know about their fertility before they are ready to start a family?
“When a public figure brings attention to fertility and the importance of understanding your reproductive health, it can help shine a much-needed light on an area of healthcare that has historically been surrounded by stigma and often not openly discussed,” says Dr. Amber Cooper, founding physician at Kindbody.
For anyone who has wondered whether egg freezing might be right for them, here’s what to know.
What is Egg Freezing?
Egg freezing, or oocyte cryopreservation, is a way to preserve eggs now for possible use in the future.
The process involves stimulating the ovaries with hormone medications so that multiple eggs can mature during one cycle. Those eggs are then retrieved, evaluated by an embryology team and frozen using a rapid-freezing process called vitrification.
If you choose to use the eggs in the future, they can be thawed and fertilized with sperm through IVF. Any resulting embryo may then be transferred to the uterus or frozen for future use.
Egg freezing does not guarantee a future pregnancy, but it can preserve reproductive options.
Why Does Age Matter?
Fertility is an important part of reproductive health, but many people don’t learn how fertility changes with age until they are actively trying to become pregnant.
People with ovaries are born with the eggs they will have throughout their lifetime. Both the number of available eggs and their genetic integrity generally decline with age.
When eggs are frozen, they retain characteristics associated with the age at which they were retrieved. That is one reason age is an important part of a conversation with a fertility specialist about whether and when to consider egg freezing.
“Having access to accurate, evidence-based information about fertility preservation and other reproductive health options empowers women with the knowledge they need to make the decisions that are right for them and their future,” says Dr. Cooper.
Why Do People Choose to Freeze Their Eggs?
There is no single reason and no single timeline.
Some people know they would like children someday but aren’t ready yet. Others haven’t met the right partner, are focused on their career or education, have health considerations, or simply want to preserve more options for their future.
The decision is highly personal. And learning about egg freezing doesn’t mean deciding to do it.
A fertility evaluation can provide information about your reproductive health and ovarian reserve and give you an opportunity to talk with a specialist about your goals, age, health history and what egg freezing could realistically offer you.
What Does the Egg Freezing Process Involve?
An egg freezing cycle typically takes about two weeks.
During that time, hormone medications help the ovaries develop multiple mature eggs. Regular bloodwork and ultrasounds allow the care team to monitor how the body is responding and adjust medications when necessary.
When the eggs are ready, a final “trigger” injection helps prepare them for retrieval.
Egg retrieval itself is a short procedure performed under sedation. The retrieved eggs are evaluated by embryologists, and mature eggs that are appropriate for freezing are vitrified and stored for potential future use.
Many people return to normal activities the following day, although recovery can vary.
The number of eggs retrieved and ultimately frozen differs from person to person. Depending on age, ovarian reserve, family-building goals and response to medication, a physician may recommend considering more than one cycle.
Egg Freezing is Personal. Your Treatment Plan Should Be, Too.
There is no universal number of eggs someone needs to freeze or a treatment protocol that works for everyone.
A fertility specialist can help develop an individualized plan based on factors including age, ovarian reserve, medical history, goals and response to medication.
That personalized guidance is important because egg freezing should not be presented as an insurance policy or a guarantee of having a baby later. It is one tool that may provide additional reproductive options for the future.
The Conversation is Also About Access
Ocasio-Cortez has said she had been saving for egg freezing for years. Her experience highlights another reality of fertility preservation: cost can determine who has access to it.
Egg freezing can represent an out-of-pocket expense, particularly when fertility medications and storage are included. Insurance coverage varies considerably, and many people still do not have fertility preservation benefits.
Employer-sponsored fertility benefits can help close that gap.
When employers provide coverage for fertility preservation and other reproductive healthcare, they can make these options available to people who might otherwise be unable to absorb thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.
“We founded Kindbody to make fertility care like egg freezing more affordable and accessible for everyone,” says Dr. Cooper. “My work is fundamentally about educating and empowering people to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and future.”
Kindbody works with employers to provide fertility and family-building benefits, which may include egg freezing depending on an individual’s plan. For those without coverage, understanding self-pay costs, insurance and financing options can also be an important part of the initial conversation.
Access to fertility preservation shouldn’t depend solely on someone’s ability to save enough money to pursue it.
Understanding Your Fertility Financing Options
If egg freezing isn’t covered by insurance or an employer benefit, paying the full cost at once isn’t the only option.
Kindbody offers several financing and payment options designed to help make fertility care more accessible. Depending on the program and eligibility, options may include monthly payment plans, flexible financing terms and financing for services such as egg freezing, IVF, IUI, fertility medications, genetic testing and other family-building care.
For egg freezing specifically, Kindbody also offers access to programs that can combine treatment and storage costs into more predictable pricing, along with monthly payment options.
Because every person’s coverage and financial situation is different, it’s worth exploring all of your options before assuming fertility preservation is out of reach. That may include:
- Checking whether fertility preservation is included in your employer benefits
- Understanding what your health insurance may cover
- Asking whether eligible expenses can be paid through an HSA or FSA
- Exploring Kindbody’s financing and monthly payment options
Why Talking Openly About Fertility Matters
Public conversations like this can also help normalize fertility care and reinforce an important message: there is no single right path when it comes to reproductive health or building a family.
Some people will freeze their eggs. Some won’t. Some will pursue IVF, donor options or other paths to parenthood. Others may decide they don’t want children at all.
The goal isn’t to convince everyone to make the same decision. It’s to make sure people have enough accurate information to make their own.
Start with Information, Not a Decision
You don’t have to know whether you want to freeze your eggs before speaking with a fertility specialist.
A consultation can simply be an opportunity to learn more about your reproductive health, ask questions and understand the options available to you.
You may decide egg freezing makes sense now. You may decide to wait. You may decide it isn’t right for you at all.
What matters is having the information to make that decision for yourself.
Your future doesn’t have to be figured out today.
Thinking about your fertility or considering egg freezing? Explore egg freezing at Kindbody to learn what to expect, from your first consultation through retrieval and storage.
