Something has been bothering me about your “Timely Preservation” article (Winter, 2022). While the story is lovely and raises important issues, it persistently equates “having a family,” “being a mother,” and “having children” with physically giving birth. This is a disservice to the many families that are not based on this specific relationship, and propagates assumptions that can be potentially harmful, as well as painful to those for whom it is not an option or a choice. I understand that this article was specifically about fertility, and I also hope you can be more thoughtful and inclusive with your language in the future.

Tamara Doering, B.A. ’83, M.D., Ph.D. ’91

St. Louis, Missouri