Since women have many options of opting of being mothers, should men be allowed to opt out of being fathers?

[Adaeva]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-04/financial-abortion-men-opt-out-parenthood/8049576

[Anonymous]

I'll start by saying I support abortion rights, and the right of a woman to make that choice herself.

To your question, yes, men absolutely should have the legal right to opt out of all of the responsibilities of parenthood, but only under certain conditions. I'll start with why I believe that, and follow with the conditions under which it should be allowed.

The typical reasoning behind abortion rights is "her body, her choice". But that is very disingenuous because the vast majority of abortions are done for unrelated reasons.

• Not ready for a (nother) child/Timing is wrong - 25%
• Can’t afford a baby now - 23%
• Have completed childbearing/other dependents/children are grown - 19%
• Don’t want to be a single mother or am having relationship problems - 8%
• Don’t feel mature enough to raise a (nother) child/Feel too young - 7%
• Would interfere with education or career plans - 4%
• Physical problem with my health - 4%

https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2019/05/who-are-the-1-in-4-american-women-who-choose-abortion/

Note that 96% of the reasons have nothing to do with a woman's body, and everything to do with how having a child would affect her life. In other words, all the same reasons a man might choose not to become a parent, if he had that choice. But he doesn't. The slogan "her body, her choice" is purposefully used to avoid the obvious issues women would face if they instead said "her life, her choice", because it would suddenly become crystal clear that men should have the same choice for exactly the same reasons. The day will come when society acknowledges that fact and gives men the reproductive rights they deserve, but unfortunately I believe that day is still a long way off.

Now, how should this be done? A man should have the right to legally opt out of being a parent, including all responsibilities AND rights of parenthood, only IF he formally makes his decision known early enough in the pregnancy that the woman can still choose to abort with the knowledge she would be a single mother. That requires that she must inform him she is pregnant early enough to make that possible. And that is part of the reason feminists are against this... women have no such responsibility currently. They are not obligated to tell a man they are pregnant, in fact they don't even have to tell a man he has a child in the world, which is disgusting if you think about it.

The above is the closest thing we can get to equal reproductive rights. It is fair and just, and the fact it is not the reality today is just one example of many female privileges and ways in which men are discriminated against that society doesn't acknowledge.

[EricSummer]

Yes, definitely, and many are already opting that way. It is perfectly possible not to be a father if a man so chooses. To be sure he can get a vasectomy, for example if he is clumsy with condoms or generally does not like them.

[Uannoyme]

Yes. Since a woman can decide for herself that she doesn't want to be a mother, even if she becomes pregnant, a man should have the same option. In the same time frame a woman can decide to abort, a man should also be able to opt out. If he isn't told until after, he should be able to opt out as soon as he's informed. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I really don't care.

[Adaeva]

That is a valid opinion. Also, for more than 99.99% (the last 100 plus years) of the last 3 million plus years of human history, men had that option. Currently, in western countries, women have the option of opting out by abortion, adoption, or anonymously abandoning the infant at most any safe location.

[Quackthulu2]

Did you forget that men have plenty of options to avoid getting people pregnant as well?

[slatyb]

They can. They can get a vasectomy, or they can be sure to always wear a condom. If they take the risk of impregnating a women, then they are also taking the risk of financial liability if she bears their child.

[Summeroflove]

I think if someone doesn’t want children. Don’t do…. The activities that create them. Abortion is murder and irs also shitty to leave a kid fatherless and a woman with a child on her own.

[richardcory]

Agree 100%. Posted something simlar before I saw this

[misogynistic_pig]

Yes, but I prefer that abortion be made illegal in all cases.

[Anonymous]

Men have options too

From condoms to spermicide upto the vasectomy and my personal favourite, removing the testes altogether because it can't be reserved or repair itself

[Nikki1989]

Men already have many options to avoid getting a woman pregnant.

[Adaeva]

That is not relevant because women have options even if they do become pregnant.

[LazerBean]

In places where women can get abortions, yes.

[Redstang88]

Absolutely

[Adaeva]

So far, no one but you has answered the question. Instead, they want to avoid the question and answer some question that was not asked.

[Preeti161101]

Every girl should be a mother