U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently announced that she is freezing her eggs to have more control over her life. This decision is part of a growing trend among women who are choosing to delay pregnancy.

What is Egg Freezing?

Egg freezing, formally called oocyte preservation, is a process that involves extracting eggs from the ovaries and preserving them until the woman hopes to become pregnant. This procedure can help extend a woman’s childbearing years.

According to Dr. Pardis Hosseinzadeh, assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins Medicine, egg freezing is most effective when done in a woman’s 20s or early 30s, when she typically has more viable eggs. The number and quality of eggs decline with age, and factors such as smoking and medication use can also affect the supply.

How Egg Freezing Works

A woman interested in freezing her eggs first has a physical exam to determine whether she is a good candidate. A doctor reviews her medical history, orders blood and hormone tests, and performs a transvaginal ultrasound to estimate egg supply.

If she qualifies, a doctor prescribes hormones to encourage the ovaries to produce as many healthy eggs as possible. The patient then undergoes an ultrasound-guided outpatient procedure under general anesthesia to retrieve the eggs, which are then frozen using liquid nitrogen.

Risks and Benefits

While egg freezing can offer more flexibility and control over reproductive health, it also carries some risks, such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. However, most women who undergo the procedure experience mild side effects, such as mood swings and headaches.

The cost of egg freezing can range from $10,000 to $15,000, and egg storage can cost up to $1,000 per year. Some companies, such as Meta and Apple, offer egg freezing as an employee benefit, but most insurance plans do not cover the cost unless there is a medical reason.

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.