Informed opinion: the mating gap

An anthropological study of 150 American women who froze their eggs has revealed a 'mating gap'. Namely, highly educated, heterosexual, professional women want the three P's of partnership, pregnancy and parenthood, but are missing the three E's of eligible, educated and equal male partners. Thus, they turn to egg freezing to preserve and extend their fertility while waiting for a mate who may or may not materialize. Gender-based educational disparities underlie this mating gap. Women around the world are significantly outperforming men in higher education, leaving a massive undersupply of educated male partners for women in their prime reproductive years. Furthermore, men's lower commitments to partnership and family building are lamented by women, who face difficult choices regarding their reproductive futures. Women's three family-building options are: (i) egg freezing to preserve and extend fertility while waiting for an equal partner; (ii) pursuing single motherhood by choice through sperm donation; or (iii) testing 'mixed-collar mating' (hypogamy) with a less-educated man. Given the growing mating gap in many countries, hypogamy may become increasingly necessary - and a potentially successful strategy - for women who hope to find a loving mate and devoted father for their children.