Men and Abortion

Men and Abortion: Locked out of the Decision

Men as Victims. Having in theory the God-given right to beget children, no man (married or otherwise) has any legal way to secure that right. Abortion has effectively turned a whole segment of the male population into moral mush, reducing them to the status of the legendary monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil about a “woman’s right to choose.” Yet some men are victims of abortion abuse and suffer grief, anger, and a general sense of impotence about their lives. One man wrote me: “I am at Trenton State Prison as an inmate having been found guilty of murder. But I have more guilt feelings about an abortion I paid for many years ago than for the crime I am now in prison for. I know God has forgiven me for that killing, but I have never been able to pray away the guilt feelings I have about my part in the death of an unborn child.” Dr. Jean Garton

Although men are equal participants in procreation and required by law to support their children, they are denied any say when it comes to abortion. In July 1976, the Supreme Court (in Planned Parenthood of Missouri vs. Danforih) ruled that a woman may obtain an abortion without her mate’s consent and, in most instances, even without his knowledge.

Many men are silent victims of abortion. At a time when men are changing roles and becoming increasingly involved in raising their children, they are systematically denied the right to be involved in life-or-death decisions affecting their unborn children.

Sociologist Arthur Shostak observed in The Family Coordinator that 3 of 4 male respondents studied said they had a difficult time with the abortion experience and that a sizable minority reported persistent day and night dreams about the child that never was, and considerable guilt, remorse and sadness. For men and women alike, the feeling of emptiness may last a lifetime, for parents are parents forever, even of a dead child.

Beyond its emotional effects on men, abortion affects relationships as well. Researcher Emily Milling found that of more than 400 couples who went through the abortion experience, most of the relationships (70%) had failed within one month after the abortion.

When men promote abortion for their partners it is typified as coercion, lack of caring, insensitivity and selfishness. When women choose abortion it is the exclamation of women’s rights, an affirmation of the right to health and freedom from male, oppression, and a confirmation of sovereign territoriality over the female body and reproductive functions. (Source: The Forgotten Fathers: Men and Abortion, Vincent Rue, Ph.D. 1986)