According to a recent “New York Times” article by Jennifer Egan, there is a new and not so subtle phenomenon sweeping across this fertile but impatient world. It has the power to cut through traditional relationships, dating and even the mating scene: it’s called the sperm bank. And more and more, single women are opting for utilizing that resource to get pregnant rather than waiting for Mr. Right (or Mr. Wrong, but available), to come along before that biological clock runs out. According to the National Center for Human Statistics, between 1999 and 2003, there was almost a 17 percent jump in the number of babies born in America to unmarried women between the ages of 30 and 44. The 25 year old support group run by Jane Mattes, “Single Mothers By Choice,” has doubled in size in the last ten years and has expanded its 4,000 membership to parts of Europe and even as far away as Australia.
Consider the social repercussions of this cultural shift in attitudes between men and women, and how such a situation changes even the most basic of communications. It cuts right through the small talk and into the chase. Questions like, “are you married?” “what’s your sign?” and “what do you do?” are quickly replaced by “how are your teeth?”, “what’s your IQ?” and “what is your family history on insanity, diabetes and other medical conditions?”
Sperm donors do indeed have their own share of questions to answer, and they have become a new, unsung, if not hero, at least sort of surrogate dream-fulfiller. This is particularly so if, as Egan says, a donor agrees to be of the identity-release ilk, also known as an “open donor.” What this means in practical terms is that he is willing to be contacted by any offspring when they reach the age of 18.
So my friends, surrogate mothers still have their respected place in this world, and while in some cases the old adage of “clothes make the man” may still be true, it is the sperm bank of today that rides the silver stallion off into the sunset, hopefully leaving something viable and frozen behind for all the generations to come.
What do YOU think about this? Please share.