How sperm dominates an egg: a spotlight on the male domination of scientific literature
In the world of science, males dominate almost everything: pay, job titles, funding, recognition, etc.
Have you ever asked a child what they think a scientist looks like? Chances are they will draw a man in a lab coat.
This is one of the most frustrating things as a woman in science. I think this narrative has been shifting in the last few years, but it is nowhere near where it needs to be and a lot of work needs to be done. Sometimes male dominance in science is not so obvious, like in the literature. There are subtle ways that texts and books are written that perpetuate the male dominance within the field of science. One example of this is the process of conception or fertilization.
Let’s get started.
I am assuming that we all know what sex is, and we all know what babies are and how they come into the world. But, have you ever read articles on how conception works from a science or medical perspective?
The story goes like this: male sperm (orange path) enters the female vagina and travels into the uterus, the female egg (blue path) is popped out of the ovary and enters the fallopian tube where it chills out, sperm travels through the uterus and enters the fallopian tube where it meets the egg, they combine forces (purple star) and BOOM a fetus starts growing.
Yes, that is WAY over simplified but you get the point.
Where the male domination portion comes in is how scientists or writers communicate about how this process actually happens.
Often, conception is written so that the male sperm is conquering the female egg. Yes, conquering.
The language often used is one that makes the sperm the “hero” and the egg as the “villian”. The female reproductive system is doing everything in its power to destroy the sperm and prevent it from conquering the egg and creating life.
Don’t believe me? Here are some real examples of this male dominated language from websites and textbooks I have in my library at home. Note: the yellow underlined text defines positive language about the sperm and the blue underlined text signifies the negative language about the egg or female reproductive system.
Here is one more example of this: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210517102645.htm. There were so many insightful details on how the sperm is the knight in shining armor that I couldn’t select just 1 quote block. Feel free to check this beauty out. *note my sarcasm*
Now, I don’t know about you but these examples really made me cringe. Not only are they glorifying the role of the sperm in the process of fertilization, they are vilifying the female reproductive system for DOING ITS JOB.
The role of the sperm is written with strong, positive words, such as “protected”, “penetrate”, “propelling”, and “helping”. On the other hand, the role of the female reproductive system and egg are described with negative words like “guard”, “creating a friendlier environment”, and “must be favorable to admit the sperm”. The only sort of positive words the female reproductive system received was it prevents polyspermy, which is critical to producing a vital fetus.
The “creating a friendlier environment” is baffling to me. Do the authors know that this “unfriendly” environment is what prevents women from getting yeast infections? Yeah, it is doing its job by preventing unwanted visitors from entering or taking over the vagina - yeast or sperm alike.
How come the semen is praised for protecting the sperm from the horrific vaginal acidic environment but the acidic environment is not praised for protecting the female reproductive system against yeast infections? Hm.
Don’t get me wrong, sperm are SUPER important. Without them, there would be no fertilization, and they play a critical role in making sure that the developing fetus is going to be strong and healthy.
My point is that both the male sperm AND the female egg play important roles in fertilization. Without one or the other, this process would not occur.
Frankly, these depictions are missing the big picture. Fertilization is a collaborative task. Eggs release chemicals to actually tell the sperm where to go. If these signals were not sent, then the sperm would be lost. Eggs and sperm also need to recognize each other! Both have mechanisms to prevent bad matches and to only produce the best fetus they can, together. They also need to fuse together - both performing their individual tasks to make the fertilization successful.
If either one does not perform the way they need to, fertilization will not be successful or will not occur at all.
Because all of this so far has been pretty negative, I wanted to show an example of how this can be positively written for BOTH the male and female reproductive systems. Note: the orange and yellow underlined text depicts a mutual, positive depiction of the sperm and the egg.
Not sure how I feel about the female reproductive system being called a machine, but, hey, pick your battles - right? Overall, these depictions are positive for both male and female reproductive systems. Both are important, and both deserve the “hero” role.
I am hoping that this sparks something in you to read with a detective eye. Notice the language being used to get you to believe something. Often, language is used to perpetuate known and accepted ideals within our culture. But, maybe it is time for the narrative to change.
As always, reach out with questions.
Stay humble,
Emily
P.S. I wanted to include references on this post, because I think it is important for you to know where I am getting this information from:
Picture 1: Reece, Jane B., et al. Campbell Biology. Pearson, 2014.
Picture 3: Freeman, Scott, et al. Biological Science. Pearson, 2014.
Picture 4: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/how-pregnancy-happens
