Tuesday, November 10, 2009

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On Men Blog - U.S. News & World Report

How Hard Do Abortions Hit Men?

September 09, 2008 04:07 PM ET | Adam Voiland | Permanent Link | Print

Reader Comments

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Interesting Information

I found lots of interesting information on health.usnews.com. The post was professionally written and I feel like the author has extensive knowledge in the subject. health.usnews.com keep it that way.

suicide and tears

A friend of mine was passing by an abortion facility the other day; and, she told me that a gal and her guy were both crying.

In the news, just last week, a British kid killed himself when he discovered his gal had terminated their pregnancy.

no problem? or just no problem for those commentators who are "for abortion, so suck off"?

im for abortions so suck off!!!

j/k its ok i got mind changed by 2 very intellitual grls in literture class.i think abortions are evil now just reseach how they kill the baby.

I enjoyed one person's comment on another site particularly:

THIS:

"How hard do abortions hit men?

How 'bout, not nearly as hard as I'd like to hit men who think they should be able to hijack my body as an incubator for their sperm?"

Aw, da poor widdle menz.

I don't give a sh1t how much it "hurts" them. They don't have to carry a pregnancy to term. They don't have to undergo an abortion. They don't have to put up with the side effects of hormonal birth control. Until they can get the Pweshus Ickle Unborrrn Baybeez implanted in their scrota and carry it to term, they can shut up and stop complaining.

It's Different for Women

Some time ago my husband and I have decided not to have any children, a decision both he and I were very relieved and happy to make. A week later, I asked him to get a vasectomy so I could get off birth control hormones and he became very upset. He couldn't believe that I would ask him to do something that would affect him "in the future from having children".

WHAT?! Who is he going to have children with if not his wife?

I have now come to the conclusion that men emasculate themselves by acting not like men, but generally like guys. Ask any woman, it takes a MAN to raise a child and not a guy. Our problem is our society has too many "guys", not nearly enough men.

Ed

After my abortion I felt nothing but relief.

Demasculinization? Loss of male rights?

As a woman, I immediately leap to the defensive when men begin claiming any right to a fetus still in a woman's womb. Abortion impacts both men and women, emotionally, mentally and psychologically. Ignoring this fact or pretending it is unimportant does a disservice to both men and women. However, acknowleding as the APA does, that women who have a single abortion are not disproportionately suffering from long-term psychological issues arising from their decision is a necessary and positive thing.

The new anti-choice argument to outlaw abortion is the claim that women are incapable (because, you know, well we're women) of understanding the psychological and emotional impact of an abortion. This reasoning was discredited in the early 20th century, the idea that women are incapable of reasoning and logic, but it continues to gain traction in 21st century America.

The APA's announcement does not state that no woman will suffer negatively from an abortion, it simply states that women who choose to pursue this option are not automatically signing themselve up for a lifetime of psychological distress.

I agree with counselling for those making this private and personal decision. I also agree it is best for men and women in a relationship to make the decision as a couple, however, a man does not have the right to tell a woman she must carry his child. Ultimately it is the woman's choice and decision because it is her body. When men carry babies, they can have the final say.

Men and Abortion

I was at this conference, and there was not a word spoken from the podium, or written in the conference literature, about making abortion illegal. We learned about the emotional pain that losing a family member through abortion can cause to the father, and how we can help these hurting men to become whole again.

Thankfully there are organizations willing to help promote greater understanding of this issue. We all too often assume that men don't feel, that men don't care, that men see abortion simply as an answer to a problem. Thanks to the brave voices of post-abortion men and the pioneering work of tireless researchers and therapists we are beginning to understand that nothing could be father from the truth.

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About On Men

By combing through the latest research in the often overshadowed realm of men’s health, reporter Adam Voiland hopes to steer readers towards the best that medicine has to offer men. Send your questions and comments to onmen@usnews.com.

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