I'm sitting in a bar waiting for a tender date.

Why?

I don't know why anymore.

I think it's because I'm not a shark.

I recently learned that female sharks can reproduce asexually.

When a lady shark gets sick of waiting for him to swing by her reef, it just pops out

our own little embryo.

But as a 34-year-old woman, if I want to have a baby in the next five years, I need a man.

Or at the very least, sperm.

This is the longest shortest time.

I'm Andrea Cylensi.

Welcome to Chapter 1 of our three-part series, The Single Ladies Guide to Spirm Shopping.

As we begin, let me say that I know a lot of you have shopped for sperm or eggs or embryos

before, especially queer couples, those with fertility challenges, and other single

people trying to be parents.

I actually have long email friendships with some of you going through this.

And so far, one thing is really clear to me.

I'm over the top obsessed with sperm.

I brought my own kind of crazy to this process, and you're going to hear it.

So for the next three episodes, you can follow along in my head.

I lay out my options, my rational fears, there are many, and my personal revelations.

I like to be early for my dates.

...