In the Windexed trophy case of 21st century taboos, infertility and porn must have a seat in the front. I don't know if I've ever read or heard of the two subjects juxtaposed in any sort of way other than the occasional, "Do they really have 70's porn magazines in the masturbation rooms at the fertility doctor?" Those who don't know what IVF stands for can list the tasteful selection of porn behind the thick wooden doors of the real Men's room.
I'm not cracking the Zimmerman Telegram when I say that porn is taboo. Terabytes of data have been dedicated to the destructive nature, uprooting devastation and mortal dangers of pornography - no, not nearly as many terabytes as pornography itself. Men and women choose porn when, one would imagine, the alternative is less attractive. Let's not get into what those alternatives may be, but porn is a choice, not a mistake. I'll admit, I would be offended if my wife chose porn over me.
And then you get to IVF. Porn serves a pivotal role in the fertility world. Let me try and explain my experience.
Producing sperm samples, by now, is like getting free tickets to a terrible game; exciting, but you'll pass. Enter porn - when times are hard (or soft) and you need a visual 5-hour energy to get through the day, the doctor will gladly and as non-awkwardly as possible lead you into a room with enough porn to silence a high school for a week. This room is a 7th grader's heaven.
Suddenly, porn is not the enemy but the alliance. Porn isn't destructive but (hopefully) constructive. Instead of tearing apart a family, it (hopefully) builds a family.
How did the shady uncle just become the generous grandfather?
To be continued.
Let me know what you think, what's on your mind - @ivf_father