11 August 2026: What Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s decision to freeze her eggs can teach us about fertility preservation | ABC News
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Key takeaways
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has publicly shared her decision to freeze her eggs, opening up a wider conversation about fertility preservation.
- Egg freezing allows unfertilised eggs to be collected and stored for potential use in the future.
- Age at the time eggs are frozen matters and is an important factor in the likelihood of achieving a future pregnancy using those eggs.
- Egg freezing does not guarantee a future baby, although it may provide another reproductive option for the future.
- AMH testing can provide information about ovarian reserve and likely response to ovarian stimulation, but it cannot predict your chance of conceiving naturally or tell you exactly how much reproductive time you have left.
Understanding egg freezing
US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has publicly shared that she is in the process of freezing her eggs, documenting parts of her experience on social media and describing the decision as one that has helped her feel more in control of her future.
The 36-year-old shared footage of her fertility medications and first injection, while also speaking openly about the time she had spent considering the decision.
Her experience, recently reported by ABC News, has prompted broader discussion about egg freezing and the questions many people have about when to consider fertility preservation, how the process works and what frozen eggs may mean for their future chances of having a baby.
Genea Melbourne City Medical Director and Fertility Specialist A/Prof Alex Polyakov spoke to ABC News about some of the key considerations, including the role of age, the limitations of egg freezing and what fertility testing can and cannot tell you.
How does egg freezing work?
Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, involves stimulating the ovaries with fertility medications so that multiple eggs can develop during a treatment cycle.
An egg freezing cycle typically takes around two weeks and involves medication injections and monitoring to assess how the ovaries are responding. When the eggs are ready, a trigger injection is given before the eggs are collected during a procedure under anaesthetic.
The retrieved eggs are then frozen and stored for potential use in the future. If you later decide to use your frozen eggs, they can be thawed and fertilised as part of an IVF treatment cycle.
While an individual treatment cycle typically takes around two weeks, the overall egg freezing journey can vary from person to person.
Why does age matter when freezing eggs?
One of the most important things to understand about egg freezing is that the age at which the eggs are collected matters.
A/Prof Polyakov explained to ABC News that eggs frozen at a younger age retain the reproductive potential associated with the age at which they were collected.
“In younger women, if you freeze eggs, you sort of stop the timing in a sense.”
As women get older, a greater proportion of eggs may have chromosomal abnormalities, which can reduce the chance of pregnancy and live birth.
This is why age at the time of freezing can influence the future reproductive potential of frozen eggs.
However, deciding whether or when to freeze your eggs is an individual decision. Age is an important consideration, but it is not the only factor that may influence your circumstances or future fertility plans.
Does freezing your eggs guarantee a future baby?
No. This is one of the most important things to understand when considering egg freezing.
As A/Prof Polyakov told ABC News:
“No matter how many eggs you freeze, it doesn't give you 100 per cent chance that you would actually have a baby.”
There are several steps between freezing eggs and achieving a live birth. If you return to use your frozen eggs, they need to survive the thaw, successfully fertilise and develop into embryos before a pregnancy can occur.
Not every egg will progress through each of these stages successfully.
Egg freezing is therefore best understood as an option that may provide an additional opportunity to have a biological child in the future, rather than a guarantee of having a baby.
Will you need to use your frozen eggs?
Not everyone who freezes their eggs will ultimately need or choose to use them.
A/Prof Polyakov explained that someone who freezes their eggs at a younger age may have eggs with greater reproductive potential, but they may also go on to conceive without needing to use their frozen eggs.
People’s circumstances and family-building plans can also change over time.
This highlights an important part of considering egg freezing: there is no way to know with certainty whether you will need your frozen eggs in the future.
What can an AMH test tell you?
Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) is commonly used as a marker of ovarian reserve.
For fertility specialists, an AMH result can provide useful information about how the ovaries may respond to fertility medications and help estimate the number of eggs that might be collected during an egg retrieval cycle.
However, there is an important distinction between ovarian reserve and your chance of conceiving naturally.
As A/Prof Polyakov explained:
“It does not tell you what your chance of natural pregnancy is at any given time. It does not tell you when you will run out of eggs. It does not tell you how long you've got.”
An AMH result therefore needs to be interpreted in the context of factors such as your age, medical history and individual circumstances, rather than being viewed as a standalone measure of fertility.
Considering egg freezing?
Egg freezing is a personal decision, and there is no single age or circumstance that will be right for everyone.
Understanding what the process involves, how age can influence egg quality and the limitations of fertility testing can help you make a more informed decision about whether egg freezing may be appropriate for you.
If you are considering egg freezing, speaking with a fertility specialist can help you understand your individual circumstances and discuss the potential benefits, limitations and considerations relevant to you.
This article is based on reporting by ABC News and commentary from Genea Melbourne City Medical Director and Fertility Specialist A/Prof Alex Polyakov.
About the authors
Dr. Alex Polyakov
Medical Director Melbourne City and Fertility Specialist MBBS, MClinEpid, MReproMed, MHlth&MedLaw, MBioeth, GradCertEBM, FACLM, FANZCOG
Melbourne Fertility Specialist A/Prof Alex Polyakov at Genea. Complete fertility care from IVF to delivery, combining clinical expertise & academic research.
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