What to know about egg freezing as AOC and a growing number of women plan ahead

Key Points:

• US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced she is freezing her eggs to gain more control over her life, joining other public figures who have shared similar plans amid growing popularity of the procedure.
• Egg freezing is most effective before age 35, as women are born with a finite number of eggs that decline in quality and quantity over time, and the process involves hormone injections, egg retrieval, and rapid freezing for future use.
• The procedure can cost between $10,000 and $15,000, often not covered by insurance unless medically necessary, with additional annual storage fees; some tech companies offer it as an employee benefit.
• Women choose elective egg freezing to delay pregnancy for reasons like career advancement or finding the right partner, with increasing numbers undergoing the process as societal trends show later childbirth and more awareness from celebrity disclosures.
• Experts caution that egg freezing is not a guaranteed insurance against infertility and that while it preserves eggs, the aging uterus can still pose pregnancy risks; it is recommended as a proactive option but not a certainty for future pregnancy.