Abortion has always been a sensitive and heavily disputed topic. People bond and argue over their opinions, and sometimes they are a considerable source of contention in people’s relationships between friends, partners and family. One of the biggest qualms about this over the years relates to the questioned validity and worth of men’s opinion on the topic. Personally, I believe that men’s voices are valuable in the debate, but they should always be a second, quieter voice in comparison to the women’s. I don’t believe that most men will ever completely be able to understand the severity of pro-choice, and the impact that it may have on a woman’s life.
Historically, women’s bodies and their lives have never exactly been theirs. From women’s rights to vote being restricted, to them being overlooked in their respective professions. There have always been extenuating laws and rules that only apply to women. That is something that men have never had to deal with. Having the ability to have an abortion is a right that women deserve, and it shouldn’t be up for debate, as having full autonomy over one’s own body is a basic human right. In the U.S., there are no laws or regulations put in place that control or restrict a man’s body, unlike the laws regarding women’s bodies, which are abortion laws.
On a general basis, I find it extremely hard to believe that most men are capable of fully understanding the pain and stress that it takes to be a woman when abortion rights are brought up. There are constant societal pressures that surround pregnancy and abortion, and the physical pressures and pains that come with pregnancy are unimaginable. Though I am speaking from the angle of a person who has personally never experienced pregnancy, I biologically could, and I think that makes a huge difference and makes my opinion more valuable than somebody who never has to even worry about the topic. There are countless medical concerns surrounding childbirth and pregnancy that are nearly impossible for a man to wrap his head around. I don’t believe that most men are emotionally capable of imagining how hard pregnancy and abortion must be for a mother, because it is something so far-fetched and completely out of the picture for them.
Now, a common argument involving men’s place in the discussion of abortion comes from the men themselves, “Don’t I get some say in the life of the baby that I played a major part in creating?” I could completely understand where they’re coming from, and I can acknowledge that this is a fair and reasonable argument. Although this argument is valid, and I do think that it should be thought about when it comes to this discussion, it just shouldn’t be valued more than the woman’s decision. The woman’s choice should always come first, and she should never allow a man to change or impact what she ends up wanting to do.
Men’s voices when it comes to the controversial topic of abortion can be valuable when they are able to have the emotional capacity to understand why it is such a painful topic for women. Men will never be able to experience pregnancy, especially not abortion, so their opinions on the topic shouldn’t be heard as loudly as the women’s voices are.
