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US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Freezes Eggs at 36
🇷🇸 Serbia /Elections & Politics

US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Freezes Eggs at 36

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed she began egg freezing at age 36, joining a growing number of women preserving fertility options.
  • Egg freezing, or cryopreservation of oocytes, involves stimulating ovaries for multiple egg maturation, followed by extraction and freezing for future use.
  • The success of egg freezing is highly dependent on the age at which eggs are frozen, with younger eggs generally having better reproductive potential.

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently shared that she has started the process of freezing her eggs at age 36, a decision she stated gives her a greater sense of control over her life. She joins an increasing number of women opting for this procedure to preserve their ability to have biological children later.

Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent Democrat, did not disclose if or when she plans to have children but emphasized her long consideration of the procedure and the financial planning required, as it is not covered by her health insurance. She shared her experience to encourage more open conversations about women's reproductive health, noting that egg freezing is becoming more common.

She explained that it gives her a greater sense of control over her own life.

— Alexandria Ocasio-CortezExplaining her motivation for freezing her eggs.

The rise in egg freezing is attributed to technological advancements and societal trends, including women delaying motherhood for education, careers, financial stability, health reasons, or simply not yet finding a partner. The procedure, technically known as oocyte cryopreservation, is an established fertility preservation method.

She said she had been thinking about egg freezing for a long time and had been saving money for the procedure because her health insurance does not cover it.

— Alexandria Ocasio-CortezDiscussing the personal and financial considerations of egg freezing.

It involves hormonal stimulation of the ovaries to mature multiple eggs in one cycle, followed by their retrieval and freezing. Unlike men, women are born with a finite number of eggs, estimated by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) at one to two million at birth, decreasing to about half a million by puberty. Both the quantity and quality of eggs decline with age, making the age at freezing a critical factor for future success.

ASRM suggests that planned egg freezing yields the best results for women in their twenties and early thirties, generally recommending it before age 38. While the procedure is not considered futile after 35, more eggs may be needed to increase the likelihood of future success. Doctors assess individual health history, hormonal levels, and ovarian reserve to guide the decision.

She decided to share her experience because she believes women's reproductive health is still not discussed openly enough.

— Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn the importance of open discussion regarding reproductive health.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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