Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez opens up about decision to freeze her eggs
She said the 'current political environment' contributed to her decision.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., opened up Sunday about her decision to begin freezing her eggs.
Ocasio-Cortez told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl that part of the reason she chose to discuss her decision publicly was due to the current political climate.
"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," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Ocasio-Cortez announced her decision via Instagram hours before appearing on "This Week." In a series of videos, she discussed her decision to share the process and appeared to document giving herself a shot.
Typically, patients looking to freeze their eggs will inject hormones for 10 to 12 days to help eggs mature and develop. Following the hormone injections, an outpatient procedure is performed to retrieve the eggs from the ovaries. Retrieved eggs are then preserved and can be fertilized at a later point through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
"Tomorrow as part of my job, I am back in DC today because I'm going to be on ABC "This Week", Sunday morning show. I'm going to be delivering an interview on national television. And it's in the morning, and I have to take my shots because of the timing of it, I'm gonna have to my shots in the green room before my interview," Ocasio-Cortez said in her Instagram announcement.
"I want you all to see that, because women can do anything," she continued. "And I think it's badass that I'm gonna be, you know, 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."
Ocasio-Cortez, who is 36, said in her post that she had been saving up to do this and weighing the decision for "a very long time." She said she will continue to be vocal about the process of freezing her eggs and included a question prompt for people to submit questions.