Scarleteen

I have to admit, I haven't had the most comprehensive sex education because of my sheltered religious background. However, I'm making an effort to be more open and catch up on what I've missed. Today, I came across some interesting information that challenged a common metaphor we often hear: the idea of sperm racing like Olympic swimmers to reach the egg. It turns out that the egg actually releases chemicals to guide which sperm will fertilize it. I found this quite intriguing, but I couldn't help wondering why some articles refer to the idea of millions of sperm racing to the egg as an impossible male sexual fantasy.

Hi there, welcome to the boards!
You're absolutely correct that the whole sperm race narrative is an oversimplification, and in reality, it's less of a marathon and more of an obstacle course. On top of that, the sperm aren't the only ones working - the egg cells are doing a lot too, for example. I have my own opinion on why this rhetoric is so widespread, but I will let you come to your own opinions and stick to the facts. Although, yes, it's definitely "male-centered" from a cultural perspective.
Anyway, here's our piece about how reproduction works, it explains it in detail from the basics. Let me know if you have more questions about this/something else!
Human Reproduction: A Seafarer's Guide