Abortion and Men?

Question

So there was a question recently about if men should have any choice when it comes to abortion. Let's explore this a little more.

Most pro-choicers said that men have no right in the decision, and his opinion does not matter. It is safe to say then that if he has no choice over the final decision, then he can not have any of the responsibility of the decision made, correct?

That brings about a stick situation. If he has no responsibilty in the decision, how can he be force to take responsibilty if the women decides to have the baby? If you say he does have a responsibilty, then he has a valid argument for having a say in the outcome of the pregnancy.

So you are left with two options.
1) Men have no say in the matter, so no responsibility one way or the other. If she has an abortion, he is guilt free. If she doesn't, he has no obligation to help out.

2) Men do have a say in the matter, and then men can decide for a women if she is having an abortion or not.

...

Then there is the third option which is what is in play today. Men only have the responsibilty if the women has the baby, but has no say in if she has an abortion.

This is not an argument for men to skip out on responsibility. It is an argument showing the illogical way abortion is dealt with today. I think it is 100% wrong that women can have an abortion even if the man sincerly wants to have the baby.

Comments/Flames begin.

Gorgeous, I should have put in my rape/incest/etc. disclaimer. This is more about boyfriend/girlfriend, oops the condom broke scenario. I have sympathy for your situation, I won't say I understand because I don't, and someone already recieved your wraith for expressing so. You want to know my opinion on rapist, go see some of my other answers on abortion questions tonight. My stance is still pro-life, but I won't openly argue against the rape/incest abortions because I know those are unique and emotional situations....I don't condem you.

I'm sorry topics tonight have upset you, it is understandable. I wish I had words to comfort you, but I don't. Only thing I can say is that I'm sad to hear your story and I wish for peace for you.

Answer 1

You are absolutely correct. Sorry to be a yes (wo)man.

I do have an addition. There are court cases going on right now in which men are trying to "opt out" of being responsible for a baby, claiming if a woman can decide she doesn't want it, so can a man.
It will be interesting to see what precedents are set.

Everyone knows that the woman in Roe v. Wade now regrets her decision and is a new Christian, right?

Answer 2

Ok It's far more complicated than that!!

There are so many mind boggling points to bring up that I don't know where to begin.

1. Yes I believe men should have a say

2. If the couple disagrees (where there was no incidence of rape), the baby should be born and the partner who wants the baby should raise it without expecting help or support from the partner - can anyone else see the massive problems with this argument? I can and will discuss below

3. Can you really force a woman to undergo a pregnancy so you can keep a baby she doesn't want?

4. Can you expect these men to actually agree to raising a child on their own with no financial support from the mother?

5. Can you expect women to raise a child with no help from the father?

6. What if the woman carries the baby to full term because the father wanted it and then he changes his mind and runs off?

It's far too complicated to just leave it to your two arrangements

Answer 3

But if the man "wants to have the baby," what does that mean?

Does it mean she must carry a baby full term just because he wants her to? Will he be by her side holding her head as she vomits, bringing her tea when she feels like it, rubbing her feet when her ankles swell, helping her stand up and sit down, bringing her pickles and ice cream when she craves it?

Does it mean he will stick with her all the way? Will he marry her? Will he support her financially while she's pregnant? Will he accept the risk to her health if she develops pre-eclampsia or other pregnancy related disorders? Will he live with her after the baby is born? Will he get up at 3 am to feed the baby AGAIN because she's exhausted?

Does it mean she has to be tied to this man for the rest of her life as a co-creator of a child she didn't expect to conceive?

Does it mean, if she doesn't want to raise a child at this point in her life, that the man will do it alone instead? Or does he expect he can demand she stay pregnant for nine months and give birth to the child and then she's on her own raising it?

It's not just a simple black or white situation.
.

Answer 4

I believe there is another option - bother mother and father's opinions are considered, but no one can force a woman to carry a child to term. So, in the end, the woman can have an abortion whether the man likes it or not, but I believe the man's opinion should be taken into significant consideration in the matter under most circumstances.

Life is not so simple as we like to try to make it, for your narrowing the issue of abortion and parental rights down to three choices or for narrowing the issue of abortion in general down to a black and white choice.

Answer 5

Well, soothe your ruffled feathers with all of the other social power that is exclusive to men. If he wants to have a baby, perhaps he should pursue a relationship with someone else who wants to have a baby. Pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood take bigger sacrifices from women than from men, and very often women have less to sacrifice.
In all honesty, I hate that there cannot be equality here, but some things just aren't fair.

Answer 6

I think it should be between the affected parties, male and female, unless the male just take off and ditches the chick, which happens a LOT--this is one main reason I'm glad I'm gay--you straight poeople have problems nobody else would want to deal with

Answer 7

I don't know the solution, but I definitely think the situation as it stands legally, is unjust.
Of course, men could make more effort to see that their Mrs. Right Now doesn't get pregnant.