Reproductive Rights

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Let me first say, as a man, that I truly believe that this is a one sided issue. 

Most men, at any given stage of their lives, want to be able to have sex with no repercussions; they want to have their fun and then walk away with no obligation. They feel it is the women’s responsibility to not get pregnant.

So, since men mostly feel that way, they have no voice in this issue. They have no vote in this issue. Their opinions don’t matter.

This is a woman’s issue with only 50% of the population being concerned and they should decide how to proceed with a pregnancy.  

I remember, in the 60’s, when this all started and my mother was talking with her friends about how it would be nice to walk away from a night of fun and not worry. I had no idea then what they were talking about but put two and two together later to figure it out.

That being said, I think that this issue is not about having the right to an abortion in all cases but every female having the right to contraception from the onset of puberty when a girl becomes fertile. 

In the last 45 years of my life I have come across only 1 woman that had medical issues that caused her to have an abortion since the pregnancy impacted her and the child. That doesn’t mean that that type of issue is necessarily rare but it might mean that some women use it as a loophole to get an abortion. 

Consider that the big detractors for contraception are from the spiritual sector.

Religious objections to contraception vary by denomination and culture. Some religious groups believe that contraception goes against natural law, while others believe that it gives humans the power to decide when life should begin, which they believe belongs to God. Here are some examples of religious objections to contraception:

The Roman Catholic Church has historically taught that contraception is a sin against nature and that tampering with the "male seed" is tantamount to murder. The Church officially banned all artificial means of birth control in 1930, including condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, douches, suppositories, and spermicides. Today, the Catholic Church is the only Christian denomination that still adheres to this standard. 

Judaic law requires husbands to fulfill their wives' sexual needs, separate from their duty to procreate.

Islamic law states that children are gifts from Allah, and some Moslems believe they must have many children. However, Allah and the Prophet also state that children have rights to education and future security.

Conservative Protestants may hold any one of three positions on contraception: acceptance of birth control, natural family planning, or a have whole bunch of kids, depending on the denomination.

Since there is a separation of church and state along with the general malaise from the some of the major religions in the U.S. there should be no issues with the women deciding on how to move forward. 

Risks associated with abortion to be considered include but not limited to the flowing issues. (10) (11) (12) 

Psychological:

Women may experience a range of emotions after an abortion, including sadness, guilt, emptiness, relief, depression, grief, anxiety, and regret. These emotions may appear immediately or over time, and may recur during future abortions, births, or on the anniversary of the abortion. Some women may also experience trauma symptoms, such as nightmares, insomnia, and negative emotions like anger, worthlessness, and shame. Other psychological consequences include lowered self-esteem, flashbacks, and substance abuse. There may also be a complete and total acceptance of the life given back to her from her decision. She may be thankful for not having to raise a child on her own, complete her college degree, continue working and developing her professional career. 

Physical:

Abortion can also have physical risks, including infection, scarring, uterine perforation, and increased vaginal dryness. There's also a small risk of infertility or ectopic pregnancy if an untreated womb infection spreads to the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Long-term effects may also include secondary infertility, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, and pregnancy complications. She may also be just fine and have no complications to worry about.

The choice comes down to abortion or contraception. Kill a child (and yes it is a child even though it is called a fetus in order to de-humanize it) at some point before it is physically born or stop the pregnancy from even starting. After speaking with women that have done one or the other I have found that those who have chosen abortion are haunted by the act, sometimes for years. I have not found that to be the case with contraception. 

As soon a girl is capable of becoming pregnant she should be allowed, if she chooses and the parents agree, to go on some form of contraception. Many parents feel that doing this would encourage promiscuity but that only shows a failure in parenting. Thoughtful discussions with the girl detailing the issues with intercourse at a young age should be done with the mother, or both parents, to ensure she is aware of the consequences and that it might best be avoided until social, emotional, and mental maturity is more fully achieved. 

No one wants to interfere with parental rights; however, the right to parent a child comes with the duties and responsibilities of informing the children when they come of age. This is fundamental and needed for the child’s development. The child will get their information from one of three basic places. The parent, friend/web pages, school. In second and third world countries these discussions are held between parents and their children all of the time without fear from antiquated notions of Victorian moral concepts. Kids are more resilient than most people think and they hear things from each other anyway (often times the wrong things).  

The type of contraception needs to be considered. Is it standard hormone therapy? Is there a possibility of long-term effects from not allowing the female body to develop naturally before interfering with the bodies hormone systems? (1) (2) (3) (4)

Is the answer an IUD or do they do more harm than good? There are many possible options that should be explored. (13) (8)(9) 

As for rape and incest, if contraception is used there should be no pregnancy. 

If no contraception is used then the options to be explored should be adoption (not for incest) and only if the woman is amenable, abortion as soon as the pregnancy is found, carry to term and keep the child. All of these options are fairly convoluted since other considerations must be understood and it would be solely up to the mother to make these decisions.

The other side of the coin is the male of the species. Why aren’t men taught more respect for women? Why are men not held accountable for their actions? Can men have a vasectomy? What about contraceptives? All good questions. 

As for respect, well, that is taught by the parents and sometimes not so well. If Dad has no respect for women probably neither will the son. (5)

Paternity tests are about the only thing that can truly hold a man accountable for fathering a child. Not all states have laws detailing the responsibility of the father for a child so either all states need to enact such laws or a national standard must be adopted. 

Male contraceptives are only valid if they are used, condoms and spermicides. (6)

Vasectomies are reversible but the length of time between first receiving the operation and attempt to reverse it is critical since a longer time tends to be more irreversible. Most men will not opt for this procedure at a young age if they think that having a child in the future is needed or a possibility for them. Some men opt for it after they have children to ensure that they cannot produce more children.

A vasectomy reversal is a surgical procedure that reconnects the vas deferens, the tubes that carry sperm from the testes to semen, after a vasectomy. The procedure allows sperm to enter semen again, making pregnancy possible. 

During the procedure, a urologist makes a small incision in the scrotum and uses microscopes to magnify the vas deferens. The surgeon then removes any scarred ends and reconnects the two ends with fine sutures. 

There are two types of reversal procedures :

Vasovasostomy

The ends of the vas are joined if there is sperm in the vasal fluid. This is the most common procedure, and microsurgery is used in about 85% of cases. 

Vasoepididymostomy

The upper end of the vas is joined to the epididymis if there is no sperm in the vasal fluid. This procedure is more complex and has a slightly lower success rate, but the results are similar to vasovasostomy. It's usually performed several years after the initial vasectomy when the obstruction moves into the epididymis. 

Vasectomy reversals can cost between $5,000 and $15,000 and are usually not covered by health insurance. The procedure can take two to four hours, and most patients can go home the same day. However, there is a significant recovery time, with restrictions on lifting and pushing for six to eight weeks. (7)