BIOLOGICAL CLOCK, WHAT?

The phrase “the Biological Clock is ticking” refers to the notion that a womxn’s fertility reduces as she ages. If you are a womxn in your late 20s or older, you may have been told by “well-meaning” folks about the tick-tocking of your biological clock. Yes, the ticking time bomb that is our uterus, which is supposed to tell us that if we do not make use of it soon enough, it will wither and die. And because mOtHeRhOoD iS sUpPosEd tO bE tHe BiGgEsT MiLeStOnE iN a wOmXn’S LiFe, the biological clock becomes the most important hour-glass of our existence.

SEXIST ORIGINS

The term was invented in the late 1970’s by Richard Cohen in his article, “The Clock is Ticking for the Career women." One psychiatrist jokingly diagnosed womxn who have careers but not children with the “withering womb syndrome.” 

The story of the biological clock is the story about science and sexism—about how assumptions about gender can shape scientific research, and how scientific discoveries can be used to serve sexist goals. The existence of a “biological clock” is seen as proof that womxn should not venture too far from their traditional roles.  womxn could dress up in trouser suits but, in the end, their bodies would yearn for children.

MYTH BUSTERS

METAPHOR, NOT SCIENCE

In her article titled “The Foul Reign of the Biological Clock,” Moira Weigel instructs us that the so-called womxn’s “biological clock” is a metaphor not an actual biological thing

MALE FERTILITY DECLINES WITH TIME TOO!

While female fertility declines with age, so does male fertility — something we often forget because we still believe reproduction is a female responsibility.

OUTDATED DATA

When psychologist Jean Twenge studied the source of the widely prevalent belief that female fertility declines rapidly with age, she discovered that the often-quoted statistic that one in three womxn between the ages of 35 to 39 will not be able to get pregnant after a year of trying was false. The 2004 study was based on French birth records kept from 1670-1830. She wrote in the Atlantic:  “In other words, millions of womxn are being told when to get pregnant based on statistics from a time before electricity, antibiotics, or fertility treatment.” If this is not sheer collusion of sexist bias and flawed research, then what is? 

Womxn now have umpteen options which allow them to create a timeline for motherhood without compromising on their other plans, if and when they feel ready for it. So, when will we get rid of the questions about the “biological clock”?