Tick-tock, tick-tock

Browsing through my favourite online newspaper, The New York Times, I stumbled on this enlightening article which centers on a series of scientific findings that males, like the female counterparts, have a biological clock.

On a cellular level, the research highlights that, in a man's lifetime, the cells that produce the sperm go through a continuous process of dividing and replicating that "by the time a man reaches 50, the cells that create his sperm have gone through more than 800 rounds of division and replication." Such vigorous, clockwork-like division and replication is bound to cause a likelihood of an error occuring.

“It’s like a light-bulb factory,”.....“You can manufacture a billion light bulbs, but some fraction are going to be impaired. When you’re manufacturing something so frequently, in such large quantities, the chances of an error are very high.”

The most shocking genetic correlation with respect to aging fathers revolves on autism and schizophrenia where studies have concluded that a biological mechanism accounts for the higher incidence of these disorders in offsprings of aging fathers.

Skeptics notwithstanding, this discovery proves to be a milestone, both on the cultural and medical front, since it is instrumental in dispelling the current long-standing perception that a woman's biological clock is, by default, the culprit behind the failure to conceive.

In almost every corner of the globe, it is a societal norm to point the fingers to the female half of a partnertship when things are awry in the 'production' department. The onslaught of callous remarks and nosy questions which prevail thereafter can be more than a person is willing to hear. Granted, they can be well-meaning but in a delicate situation such as reproduction, I believe it is better to 'butt out' before you're given the greenlight to 'butt in'.

Compared to the average Malay woman, I got married quite late. As such, I did harbor some misgivings over my tick-tocking biological clock. In fact, having a baby was high in my priority due to the skewed generalisation that hinges on women's fertility levelling off at a certain age. After experiencing much distress, an epiphany hit me - I should just leave it to God AlMighty. I mean, following all efforts possible, I have to 'redha' (readily accept with faith) with His answers. After all, He's All-Knowing what is best for His servants. The Truth set me free!

So when this article came to my attention, I was more than relieved to jettison the old-age idea that a woman must be married by so-and-so age lest she'd imperil her maternal chances, thus going over her 'sell-by-date'! That a woman's worth (or marriageability) rests heavily on her biological make-up, is culturally ingrained in today's society. So much so that some women are on their toes to risk everything and anything in order to become pregnant.

As quoted in the article, this new evidence will help to "level the playing field between men and women in the premarital dating game." I couldn't agree more.