To think that science teacher saying that a female's 'prime' is at 18 to a year 11 class is out of order?

[littlemissbumshine]

DD came back today and her friend came over, they both came back talking about how shocked they were at their (30s male) science teacher.

Apparently they got onto the topic of puberty and the boys were chiming in with the usual stuff about boobs and ageing and the teacher said that it's a scientific fact that a female's prime is at 18 years of age...

I think it's disgusting. Especially when the class already has had problems with sexism (supposedly being tackled) after year 10 joiners have tipped the small class from being 9 boys and 6 girls, to 16 boys and 4 girls.

Weirdly I thought it was men who were in their prime at 18 and women much later. How odd.

I don’t believe he said “attractiveness”. The rest is just Biology. I work in a school and honest to God you have to think about a sentence 3 times over before you speak. If that’s all your kid has to stress about, count yourself lucky.

@littlemissbumshine I would be going with the above knowledge to a member of the SLT and demanding some explanation for the comment, as long as you are absolutely sure that your daughter is telling the truth. If he really did say this it is completely inappropriate and misogynistic.

Oh Jesus, please don’t. The very fact that you drip-fed because you mistyped (due to having one eye on the television) gives this matter all the gravity it deserves.

Considering this has been an age old argument used to keep women reduced to their reproductive ability I'd say he has a duty to explain it in a way that doesn't make girls sound like they are grapes ready for picking!

It's funny how a female's prime being so young is never used to excuse teenage pregnancy or female sexual agency at that age, whereas we have this idea that horny teenage boys just can't help themselves.

@littlemissbumshine how are there only 20 children in a science class and considerably less than that last year?

Maybe, and this is purely speculation, the teacher actually knows what they're talking about?

It’s got to be somewhere around 18,19,20.

YABU. It’s just a fact; he’s not going to lie because you don’t want to hear or accept it.

Yabu. I wish I had taken this in instead of steadfastly believing it was just 'old fashioned' to think so, and that as a feminist I could work work work then have children when I wanted to.
After 5 rounds of IVF in my late 30s,and not even a sniff of a BFP I am now here at 44 wishing I had taken this comment more seriously.

Women know it is bullshit and men can think whatever they want because they often don’t have the faintest how the female body and psyche works. Let them die ignorant.

I always thought thought that it was 19.

It's not even true from a reproductive standpoint is it? I'm pretty sure an 18 year old having a baby would be classed as a high-risk pregnancy. Our brains don't even fully mature until 25!

He's right though. What's the problem with saying it.

10-19 highest complications? What a weird age range to use in this context.

I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a combination of fertility, childbirth and recovery which gives the prime age to reproduce.

I'd have thought a biology lesson would be the logical place to discuss such a thing.

He can’t have been talking about sexual prime, as don’t men reach this during late teen and early twenties and women in the later 30’s?

And as for a woman’s most attractive age, well that would be subjective anyway wouldn’t it? I mean, I was a gangly thing at 18 and only just learning to do my hair and makeup. I was way better looking by 25. So, there would be no reason to make that statement.

So the only logical thing would be that he was talking about reproductive prime, which would be 18 to mid twenties. I teach Child Development and the rate of Downs Syndrome in babies increases with a woman’s age. There is greater risk even at maternal age 25 compared to age 20. The same is true for most genetic issues, so the science teacher would be correct if he is simply speaking factually about reproductive prime.

@RuffleCrow

High risk pregnancies are generally those where the maternal age is 17 or under or over 35.

10-19 highest complications? What a weird age range to use in this context.

It's the global maternal mortality landscape as categorised by the World Health Organisation.

On a global scale 1 in 5 girls are married when they are still a child, so that's why the bottom of the age range is so young for analysing maternal health data

What kind of fucked up line graph would have a 17 year old pregnant teenager as "high risk" and an 18 year old as "prime pregnancy age" ?

But as we know, the patriarchy never lies. Nor would it ever have any reason to lie.

Complete sexist rubbish and unscientific. Absolutely complain. Even if he meant peak fertility he is wrong - it's early/mid 20s. Attractiveness is obviously bullshit. I honestly think this is a firing offence.

It’s so grim that a woman- and mother-focussed website like this one is still full of people so ignorant about fertility and biology.

As many previous posters have pointed out, at length and with links - it is not scientifically accurate that 18 is a “prime” time to have children. 18 YOs are in fact higher risk for many health complications.

Biologically he may be correct, although men are usually seen to be in their prime at around 30, which is surely not their most fertile age.

Biologically yes. Physically too at 18 you feel naturally attractive, an air of innocence wonder and beauty.
You only have to read threads how young females are hit on from 18 and younger by older men, oggled from cars, beeps by white van man, hassled in public.
It's over 20 years since I was 18 it was the same then.
I don't know much about science I know men fancy young woman. It brings out a weirdness in them.

To add to be post as no edit. 👆 I don't think he meant biologically at all more sexual attraction. For that I'd complain.

Regardless of scientific facts, why did the teacher not deal with the boys chiming in about boobs?

Is the sexist behaviour being dealt with effectually?