ay, papi

My friends all know that I'm fairly tolerant when it comes to romantic relationships. So long as it's consensual, I don't care if it's a man/woman, man/man, or a woman/woman relationship.

But I have trouble with power dynamics, which is why I don't buy most plural relationships and why I definitely balk at relationships where one person is old enough to be the other person's parent. Simply put, it's just ain't right when your baby's daddy could be your daddy. It turns out that biology is backing me up on this one:

Older men are more likely to produce premature babies. For a mother 20 to 24 years old, the risk of bearing a child before 32 weeks' gestation almost doubles if the father is 45 to 49 years old rather than 25 to 29. The younger the mother, the stronger the effect. Previous studies have linked older fathers to some pregnancy complications, birth defects, and diseases in offspring.

Interpretations:

1. Men may accumulate bad mutations as they age or are exposed to toxins.
2. Nature may discourage big age differences between parents because they're disadvantageous to the child.
3. For God's sake, she's young enough to be your daughter.

Via Slate: Human Nature