Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Your Gamete, Myself

New York Times Magazine:By Peggy Orenstein

It was weird to look at these pictures with Becky. I inevitably objectified the young women in them, evaluating their component parts; it made me feel strangely like a guy. Becky clicked on a photo of a 22-year-old brunette with a toothy grin. Each profile listed the donor’s age (many agencies consider donors to be over the hill by 30), hair color (there seemed to be a preponderance of blondes), eye color, weight, ethnicity, marital status, education level, high school or college G.P.A.’s, college major, evidence of “proved” fertility (having children of their own or previous successful cycles). Some agencies include blood type for recipients who don’t plan to tell their child about his conception. Others include bust size and favorite movies, foods and TV shows. One newly pregnant woman told me she picked her donor because the woman liked “The Princess Bride.” “Some donors chose ‘Pulp Fiction,’ and their favorite color was black,” she said. “That’s just not me. If I have the choice between someone who likes ‘The Princess Bride’ or someone who likes ‘Pulp Fiction,’ everything else being equal, I’m going for ‘Princess Bride.’ ”


[More to come]

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