This provocative op-ed, “Men, Who Needs Them?” in the New York Times was disturbing to read. Readers, especially men, would understandably become defensive or angry.

But to the degree it reports facts, one might engage in the exercise of imagining it is not referring to humans, but some other animal species in a textbook. And the piece rightfully challenges us as a society to consider the impact of current technology and trends. If a male is but a sperm donor, what does this mean for society?

Woman can and do choose to become pregnant without the presence of a male partner or engagement of the father in the child’s life. This is not new, but it is becoming popularized in the chatting classes of upper socioeconomic people who historically partnered.

The need for males is particularly provocative when one considers the premium placed on them in many cultures relative to females, and the fact that roughly half of all children born are still male. One might think that if biology determined this, that evolution would alter this percentage.

The article has indeed gotten many responses, 300+ comments and counting. Read them for additional perspectives.