Martin argues that scientific descriptions of reproductive biology are deeply influenced by cultural gender stereotypes, portraying the egg as passive and the sperm as active. These gendered metaphors reflect and reinforce societal biases, rather than accurately describing biological phenomenon. >“the picture of egg and sperm drawn in popular as well as scientific accounts of reproductive biology relies on stereotypes central to our cultural definitions of male and female.” (Martin, 1991, p. 2) - **Menstruation is framed as a "failure" or "waste." - **Sperm production is celebrated as prolific and efficient,** despite the vastly higher quantity of sperm wasted compared to eggs. - **Sperm are depicted as heroic,** active agents ("penetrating," "delivering genes," "propelling"). - **Eggs are described as passive, fragile** entities ("waiting," "swept along," "rescued"). >“By extolling the female cycle as a productive enterprise, menstruation must necessarily be viewed as a failure. Medical texts describe menstruation as the "debris" of the uterine lining, the result of necrosis, or death of tissue. The descriptions imply that a system has gone awry” (Martin, 1991, p. 3) >"Whereas the female _sheds_ only a single gamete each month, the seminiferous tubules _produce_ hundreds of millions of sperm each day" (emphasis mine). (Martin, 1991, p. 3) >“It is surely no accident that the "remarkable"process of making sperm involves precisely what, in the medical view, menstruation does not: production of something deemed valuable.” (Martin, 1991, p. 4) The proper female analogy to spermatogenesis (sperm production) is ovulation (release of an egg). Yet ovulation does not receive the same enthusiasm. - **Spermatogenesis** is portrayed as an **active**, productive process—sperm are described as "produced" in vast numbers, constantly "regenerated," and "competing" for fertilization. This frames male reproduction as efficient and powerful. - **Ovulation**, by contrast, is described in **passive** or negative terms—eggs are "wasted" if not fertilized, menstruation is seen as a "failure," and the reproductive cycle is framed as a **decline** toward menopause rather than a process of selection and maturation. Reframing both processes as homologous would highlight their similarities: - Females could be described as _producing_ mature ova as needed, rather than _losing_ them. - Males could be described as struggling with _degenerating_ germ cells over time, emphasizing the limitations of sperm production rather than its excess. Both male and female reproductive systems experience cellular degeneration, but scientific descriptions frame these processes in unequal, gendered ways. - Female Degenerative Processes: Framed as wasteful and diminishing - Females are born with a finite number of oocytes (~1 to 2 million). Most will never be used. - The process of atresia (the natural degeneration of unused eggs) occurs throughout life, but particularly accelerates after puberty and nearing menopause. - Menstruation is often described in medical texts as the shedding of "failed" eggs or "debris" from the uterine lining. - Menopause is framed as a decline or depletion of reproductive potential, often with language suggesting biological incompleteness after fertility ends. - Male Degenerative Processes: Overlooked or framed as an unimportant byproduct - Males continuously produce sperm throughout life, but not all sperm precursors (spermatogonia) survive. - Even mature sperm have high attrition rates, with many being defective or unable to fertilize an egg. - Male germ cell degeneration is rarely emphasized, unlike attention given to female egg loss. Instead, spermatogenesis is described in productive, active terms: "generated," "abundant," "replenished." - Decline in male fertility with age (e.g., reduced sperm quality, increased DNA fragmentation) is understudied and rarely discussed compared to menopause.