AOC freezes eggs, tells followers 'don't be weird' as she films process

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), on Saturday, August 8, documented her decision to freeze her eggs on Instagram, giving followers a close look at a process that usually stays behind closed doors.

The 36-year-old New York Democrat has shown the medications she's taking, filmed herself preparing the injections, and given viewers updates as she goes through the treatment.

She also talked openly about why she decided to do it now.

AOC begins freezing her eggs

In the videos shared via Instagram stories, Ocasio-Cortez does not just talk about egg freezing.

She shows parts of the routine itself, including the medications involved, and the hormone injections she has to take as part of the process.

She filmed herself giving herself the shots, turning what can be an intimidating medical procedure into something much more ordinary on camera.

The congresswoman also joked about the attention her decision could attract. “Don’t be weird,” she told followers.

Ocasio-Cortez said she had been considering the procedure and saving money for it for some time.

With Congress away for its August recess, she said she felt it was a good moment to begin.

“This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” she said.

She also called the decision “badass” and said she felt “empowered” to take the step.

The treatment involves hormone medication over roughly two weeks before doctors retrieve eggs from the ovaries for freezing.

The idea is to preserve eggs while they are younger, giving a woman the option of using them for pregnancy later.

Ocasio-Cortez said she wanted to show the process because she believes women should know more about their reproductive options.

AOC gets unusually candid on camera

The decision comes as Ocasio-Cortez continues to face questions about her future in politics, including speculation about whether she could seek higher office.

She pushed back against the idea that every major decision in her life should be viewed through the lens of political ambition.

“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?’” she said.

She described that way of looking at politicians as a “two-dimensional, craven understanding” of power, arguing that people in public life also make decisions based on their families and personal circumstances.

“I think a lot of us actually approach these considerations or these decisions through the larger context of our lives as whole human beings,” she said.

She also pointed to a difference between the way men and women are judged when they pursue demanding careers.

“This is just not something that men deal with,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

She recalled being sworn into Congress at 29 and having to navigate adulthood while much of her life was playing out in public.

“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,” she said.