Before a female has an abortion, should the father be consulted?

United States
September 25, 2006 10:32am CST
I thought of this while in the abortion discussions. If I were to get a female pregnant, IF she chose not to raise the baby, I would certainly want to do so and think I have just as much right to the life of that child as she does. I really don't think a female should get to make a decisioin of abortion without the father's knowledge and consent. What do you think?
1 person likes this
39 responses
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
16 Nov 06
Definitely! As a matter of fact I heard of one or two cases, or a group of activist men who are trying to bring this up.. One thing they say is, if a father becomes a father, they are supposed to support the child (child support) and there's not supposed to be a "choice" for the father.. They're not saying they don't want to support their children, they're trying to show how women have the right to choose if they will have the child and be a parent, but the man does not have a choice. So why is it, in a pregnancy, only the woman has the choice. There seems to be no recognition of the man having any right whatsoever to the pre-born child. It's always only a woman's right - choice as a woman's sacred right.. And not only is there no rights for the pre-born baby/person, but no rights for the father. I think this is very wrong. The way people yell about choice, you'd think pregnancy last ten, twenty years.. After all no one forces a mother to raise the child.. And many a man may well want to!! But they are denied the RIGHT.
• United States
31 Oct 06
I've always wondered about this myself... if he has no right to make a decisions legally, it's probably best for him emotionally not to know if she chooses to go through with it... I must say, it is not fair for the guys out there who might want to raise a child, but then - it's hard to be fair to everyone in such a tough situation.
1 person likes this
@DeenaD (2684)
• United States
27 Nov 06
I don't. I didn't grow up eating a lot of seafood, so I never acquired a taste for it. Now, as an adult, I don't like it and I don't make it for my kids.
• United States
17 Dec 06
I agree with most of you. heck yeeeaaahhh the father should be involved. he should have the cchance to say if he wants to raise the baby or not. What the heck does seafood have to do with this subject.
@srhelmer (7029)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
27 Oct 06
I think it really depends on the situation. If it was a one-night stand. Then no. He didn't want any commitment to begin with, especially not with a child. But if the pregnancy was from an actual relationship then yes, he has a say in it.
1 person likes this
@brett80 (190)
• Australia
6 Oct 06
Not only should the father have a say about the abortion, but should also give his permision for the child to be kept. After all the child is half his. At the moment it seems that the mother has all the control over all the decisions.
@Tanya8 (1733)
• Canada
16 Oct 06
From a moral standpoint, I agree that the father should have a say, but in the case of a dispute, the mother has to have the final word. You cannot force surgery on someone against their wishes.
@brett80 (190)
• Australia
17 Oct 06
Maybee not force her to have an abortion but certainly make it hard for her ie no government grants or child support. I still think people should apply for a permit to have children. In Australia they are giving $4000 aud to women to have children. It is meant as an incentive to have more kids and boost the population, but they have not put restrictions on the payment. ie 1 kid 1 payment. Dosent matter about the mothers age, maritial or relationship status. 14 year old girls are getting pregnant on purpose just to get the payment. The fathers of these children won't have much of a say about the raising of the kid. If the mother continues through with the pregnancy after the father says he doesn't want the kid the baby should be given up for adoption at least.
• United States
1 Nov 06
If the father doesn't want the baby but the mother does, you think the baby should be put up for adoption? What other kind of distorted thoughts go through your head?? Soooo, if the father doesn't want it, the mother shouldn't know her baby either? That is not rational, reasonable or even SANE thinking. If this decision was up to you, I wouldn't even want to think about how many children would be WHO KNOWS where, not to mention how many women there would be with gigantic holes in their hearts for the rest of their lives.
@starr4all (2863)
30 Oct 06
I think it depends on the situation. In a marriage, definately. The case of rape, no. If it's a casual relationship. Probably not. I think the ultimate decision should be the womans. Why? Because, she is the one that will carry the child for 9 months. Also, she (not always but a lot of the time)will be the one taking care of the child. Say the father says "yes I will be there" while she's pregnant but then once the baby is born he bolts? Or he gets in a new relationship and doesn't want anything to do with the child? As far as child support, it's getting better but there are still deadbeat parents out there.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Oct 06
Yes, I think father have a right to say something to the female. It takes two to make baby so only one cant make the final desicion. I talk to my husband and he talk to me about abortion. We both have the same thought for the abortion.
• United States
30 Oct 06
But what if both don't have the same thoughts? Then its ultimately his decision, no matter what she wants. What if he wants the abortion and she doesnt. Should she be forced to abort a child she wants?
@Rose24 (90)
• Australia
31 Oct 06
when I fell pregnant we weren't married & my boyfriend at the time told me that if I didn't want to keep it then he would take it, I was NOT to abortHIS child. By the way we have been married 33 yrs. now, 3 kids and 4 grandsons & a step granddaughter.
@blilley7 (196)
• United States
16 Nov 06
A nice response, Rose. :)
@melody1011 (1663)
• India
31 Oct 06
Well.... you do have a right to know of course. But the final decision should rest with the female as it will be her body that will undergo changes for the next 9 months or so. So you can definetely make your views known to her and it will be upto you to convince her that you can actually take the responsibilty of the baby if she wants to have nothing to do with the baby. But keep in mind it is a tremendous responsibilty both ways
• United States
16 Nov 06
her body!!! what about his mind going through changes? dont he count? doesnt he have feelings?
• United States
31 Oct 06
I definaltey think that the father should have a choice on this. As the saying goes...It takes two to tango. It should also take two people to make the decision.
• United States
31 Oct 06
But when you do that you ultimatly put the power in the hands of the man, if he disagrees the woman's power is limited. And what if he wants her to abort? Should he get a say then? It goes two ways.
• India
30 Oct 06
i am unable to think in those terms but i still can't figure out the humiliation, the pain and trauma a person would face.
• United States
30 Oct 06
What do you mean?
@timmeh0910 (1168)
• United States
31 Oct 06
Yes, I think so.
• United States
31 Oct 06
So how much say does he get? Can he force her to get an abortion?
• United States
31 Oct 06
Yes, because he is also involved.
• United States
31 Oct 06
Same question to you. How much say does he get?
29 Dec 06
in my opinion the father should be consulted it takes 2 to make a baby, so it takes 2 to decide :)
@DeenaD (2684)
• United States
27 Nov 06
Yes, I think so. It is his child too, after all. The mother may not want the child, but maybe the father does, and in that case he has a right to raise it.
@Phlamingho (7825)
• Denmark
21 Nov 06
Yes of course he should... If the girl even know who the father is!? ;-)
• United States
16 Nov 06
I think if the father is a reasonable man and the woman can get ahold of him, he should at least be told that there is a pregnancy and the woman should tell him what she wants to do. I do not think the father should get a final say, he should not force a woman into keeping a child she doesn't want or force her to abort a child she does want, but he should at least know what's going on, and they should have a discussion about it. In the end, he should respect whatever decision she makes.
• India
16 Nov 06
...In the first place why will the female think of an abortion if she has the support of the father of the child... No female in her right sense will ever think of it ........And of course the father of the child should definitely be consulted ...that is his right...
@yogitha (1890)
• India
25 Nov 06
yes would certainly want to do so and think I have just as much right to the life of that child as she does.
• China
25 Nov 06
I do not know! However, I am very sympathetic to her!