Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has revealed on Instagram she has commenced the process of freezing her eggs, sharing video footage of herself administering hormone injections.
The New York congresswoman, 36, posted clips on Saturday showing her injecting the hormones into her abdomen, telling her 10 million followers: "Don't be weird about this. Even though I know all of you will be."
Following the injection, she remarked it "wasn't so bad".
The politician, who is engaged to marketing professional Riley Roberts, acknowledged she occupied a "very privileged position" to afford the procedure, which can cost upwards of £15,000, and said she had been setting aside funds for some time.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez indicated her motivation was "to show more depictions of women having full lives in every context and every choice".
She acknowledged the decision carried unusual consequences for a public figure, noting: "There is very strangely a political risk, or a political tax, that comes with sharing this info."
During her appearance on ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday, she connected her fertility decision to the current political climate surrounding women's healthcare.
"In this political environment where this administration is denying reproductive care to women across the country, from abortion rights to the ability to carry out a healthy pregnancy, I think it's important for us as leaders to have these conversations and share these processes, especially for working women across the country and normalise them," Ms Ocasio-Cortez stated.
She expanded on broader issues facing women, saying: "As women in general, we are not taught about our bodies, we are not prepared for our own lives, whether that is in puberty, whether that is in pregnancy, whether that is in perimenopause, menopause, whether that is in so many different aspects of our lives."
The Trump administration has withdrawn federal guidance directing hospitals to provide emergency abortions in states with bans and imposed funding restrictions on reproductive health providers, including Planned Parenthood.
When questioned by host Jonathan Karl about a July University of New Hampshire poll placing her at the top of potential 2028 Democratic presidential primary contenders in the state, Ms Ocasio-Cortez declined to dismiss the possibility outright.
"I haven't ruled out the possibility, and I'm very humbled to the tremendous amount of support out there," she told ABC News.
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The progressive politician emphasised, however, immediate electoral priorities took precedence over future ambitions.
"I think that we have a responsibility to remain focused on the midterms and not on our individual aspirations or plans," she added.
Speculation regarding a presidential campaign from her has intensified during the second Trump term, with Vice President JD Vance stating in a June interview on The Michael Knowles Show "it's got to be AOC" when asked who would lead the 2028 Democratic field.
When asked whether she might mount a challenge to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, her fellow New York Democrat who faces re-election in 2028, Ms Ocasio-Cortez responded that "anything is possible at this juncture".
The Sunday interview came on the heels of progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed's primary triumph over Representative Hayley Stevens, whom Mr Schumer and other senior party figures had supported.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez has previously sought to climb the congressional hierarchy, launching an unsuccessful 2024 campaign to secure the ranking Democratic position on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, where she was defeated 131-84 by Representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times in July he was "excited to see what decision she makes" regarding a potential presidential campaign.
The congresswoman characterised the current period as one of Democratic party transformation, describing it as a "time of renewal" with an "ascendance of a young, inspiring, exciting electorate, energising wave of candidates" who she believes "inject a new energy to the Democratic Party and add to the toolbox of candidates that we have to win the midterm elections hopefully in November".
She particularly praised what she termed insurgent candidates who lack traditional backing from party establishments, stating they "answer to no master".
"They are not beholden to any corporate interest or any party boss and they are completely independent, which allows them to be responsive to their communities and the people that elected them," Ms Ocasio-Cortez said.
She noted she herself received no endorsements from elected officials during her initial campaign, suggesting this independence strengthens the socialist movement.
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