#eggandsperm

From "Conception" by Claudia Congleton at Art Noir. #art #eggandsperm #humanreproduction (at Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana)

After reading Emily Martin’s article, “The Egg and the Sperm: How Science has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles,” I realized that gender stereotypes can even be found in the way scientists conduct research and write scientific journals. Regarding contraception, a females’ egg is always seen in a negative light, as it is considered passive. Sperm, on the other hand, are regarded highly and considered to be active, strong, and swift, when in reality, they really are not as strong as scientists portray them to be. An analogy that has been made that really promotes gender stereotypes is one that compares the egg to Sleeping Beauty, and she waits for the right sperm, or “Prince Charming” to come and “save her.” This creates the idea that females are passive, unmotivated, and weak like their eggs, which is definitely not the case. I never really realized how prominent gender stereotypes are in science, and it is unfortunate that people continue to teach science in such a way that degrades or lessens the value of a women’s egg when compared to a man’s sperm. These stereotypical ideas can affect how women see themselves; they may see themselves as weak and unproductive, and in turn, this can affect the confidence and self esteem of women. This article was definitely eye-opening as it made me aware of how prominent gender stereotypes are. 

I was struck at the fact that there are "seven million...egg germ cells, in the female embryo" but "only 400 to 500 eggs will have been released" for the use of reproduction (Martin 488). However, I was even more surprised when the author stated "for every baby a man produces, he wastes more than one trillion sperm" because I did not have a clue on how much eggs and sperms male and female have (Martin 489).