Today's Article

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's social media posts about her choice to 1freeze her eggs has brought the topic of 2reproductive health back into the spotlight.

"Someone sharing their story, it creates 3room for other people to ask questions, to maybe have that conversation with their doctor, with their friends and family."

Danielle Melfi leads Resolve, a national patient advocacy organization supporting people facing 4infertility.

"It's really helpful in breaking down that 5stigma."

Egg freezing 6preserves eggs for future pregnancy.

When a patient is ready to use them, they're 7thawed, 8fertilized and transferred via IVF.

But pregnancy isn't 9guaranteed.

"One of the 10downsides of freezing eggs is that there's still a lot of unknowns. We don't know if they're going to successfully fertilize. We don't know if the 11embryos are going to grow."

One round can cost thousands, plus egg storage.

In many cases, insurance doesn't cover it.

"When you think of the time in your life when women are often making the decision to freeze their eggs, they're thinking about it in maybe their late 20s, their early to mid-30s. That's when they're moving up in their career. They're seeing if they can pay rent or buy a mortgage."

It may seem 12daunting, but experts say the process starts with a conversation.

"The 13take-home message for people interested is that don't be afraid to make a consultation to learn more about it."