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RSS FeedAbortion: Should the father have a say in the matter?
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| Yes | 80% | 406 votes | Total: 510 votes | |
| No | 20% | 104 votes |
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Add to FavoritesWhen considering the consequences of unplanned pregnancy and abortion, the little discussed victim is the male. Once the sperm leave his body, control of the final result belongs to the woman because they reside in her body. At least that's the way it appears in today's society. In considering this question, one must wonder if the woman's body and will trumps the will of the pre-born child and the father of said child. What rights does the father have when it comes to the termination of the life of his child?
*Where do a father's rights begin?
It's funny that once that child is born, society expects men to step up to the plate and take care of the child financially at the least. He can spend time in jail for not doing so. He's looked at as a "deadbeat dad" and seen as a monster who doesn't care enough about his child to support him or her.
But go back even one minute to before the birth of this child and the father has no say whatsoever in what happens to him or her. The pre-born child and the father must step back and wait as mom's wants and the use of her body take precedence over their rights.
*Posession is nine-tenths of the law?
Yes, it's her body, but it is not just her child. That child was created by two people, and two people should have a say in what happens from the moment of conception. The mother's say may outweigh the father's say in certain situations, but she should not have the right to totally ignore the wishes of the father as if he were nothing but a sperm donor.
*Women's rights vs men's rights?
Women's rights have come a long way in our society, and that's often as it should be. However, in some areas we have gone too far. "My body, my decision" may have value in many ways, but what about the ethical obligation to the partner and the child itself? Just because a woman can make decisions with no regard to anyone else's wishes, doesn't mean she should do so without great consideration of the others involved.
*When convictions enter the picture
If the father of the pre-born baby has strong feelings about abortion and wants to either raise the child himself or give him or her up for adoption, his position should find consideration with the mother of the child, even though she carries the child in her body.
On the other hand, if the mother feels strongly against abortion and the father urges her to have one any way, she has the right to say no. She should consider his feelings and wishes, regardless of what they are, and then she must make the decision that makes both happy if she can. In other words, she has an obligation to consider the male's wishes seriously before making her decision. He may not win in the end, but he will know he was heard. Hopefully both will choose life for their pre-born child.
In the end, the woman will probably retain the right to choose. Hopefully, she will consider the wishes of her partner before making that decision. In the majority of cases, both chose the act that created the child, both should have a say in the choices that follow.
Learn more about this author, Angela S. Young.
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No
Unless the father is one hundred percent willing to take on the whole role of parenting a child, he should have no say in the woman's choice to have an abortion. Even then, he should only be able to "offer" himself up as an option, but should not have any legal means of stopping a woman from having an abortion, even if it is his "child".
Sadly, many unwanted pregnancies are the result of unplanned sexual activity. The woman is left with a burden she does not want, and may not be able to care for financially or emotionally. While this in no way excuses the fact that she had some role in getting pregant to begin with, it cannot be helped that she still has to deal with the result. The fact remains that she faces the difficult choice to have an abortion. Why should she have to consult "the father"? Why should she require his permission?
The baby will grow inside the woman, not every woman feels the "joy" of pregnancy, for some it is pure misery and the "miracle" of childbirth is nothing short of painful torture, why should the man be allowed to force a woman to endure this? The father does not have to endure morning sickness, or any of the other problems most women experience. He will never be kept awake because of pains or restless legs and cramps. His life will not be put in danger as the result of the pregnancy.
The truth is that most women do not abort because of morning sickness. In these situations, they abort because they simply do not want a baby, and are not willing to endure nine months of carrying a child they do not want. Some are repulsed at the thought of a baby growing inside them, or do not want to be saddled with the burden of a child, but equally do not feel that adoption is an option. This is not about a womans right to abortion, it is about the males right to prevent her from having such.
Why should the father have any say in the matter? It is not his body. He got her pregnant, but except in a few cases, this was not the goal. Even for the woman, pregnancy was not her goal, so abortion certainly isn't either, but it is her choice.
Should a woman have the right to control what a man does to his body? Should a woman legally be allowed to dictate if a man should get a tattoo or shave his head? Of course not, so why should a man be legally allowed to dictate what a woman does to her body? Yes, the baby (or fetus) does have an effect on her body, and even her mind.
The woman might suffer long term effects if she has to take time off work. Although there are legal provisions against it, some employers do discriminate against pregnant women, and at some point during the pregnancy work may become unbearable.
Suppose the "father" were allowed to dictate the woman into keeping the pregnancy, then what? Will he be able to dictate for her to keep it? What if she does keep it, but cannot afford to support herself and the child, and he isn't a good provider? What if he has control of the child, will he have the right to demand child support from her? What if he forces her to continue the pregnancy, but she abuses her body with drugs and alcohol resulting in a problem to the baby? What if the pregnancy was the result of a date rape?
Suppose the roles were reversed, could a man force a woman to get an abortion when she did not want one? If we are to allow him to prevent her from having an abortion, it is only a matter of time before somebody tested the law to the opposite extreme.
There are too many questions, as well as legal and moral implications, to even consider allowing fathers to control a woman's right to the abortions. Obviously the best thing would be if these unwanted pregnancies did not occur in the first place. Unfortunately, we do not live in that world yet. For now what happens to the womans body, should be her decision, with the advice of her doctor, and nobody else.
Learn more about this author, Brenda Nelson.
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