Sperm Donation is Full of Euphemisms, and an 11-Year-Old is Full of Questions
Fertility clinics, in particular, have mastered the art of sperm donor doublespeak. Arriving at my scheduled “donation time,” a technician guides me to the “collection room,” points out my various “entertainment options,” and hands me a sterile cup for my “specimen.” I realize all this veiled terminology is supposed to make the process less awkward for me. Somehow, though, it just makes things worse. Each time the clinic’s receptionist smiles and thanks me for “stopping by” on my way out, I can’t help but feel like a mortified teenager just caught in a compromising position by his mother.