“My body, My choice:” a frequent expression used to explain vaccination and tattoo rights. Numerous women also use it to describe the rights they retain over their bodies. On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court made the constitutional right for women to receive abortions as a result of Roe versus Wade. The simple question, “Do men acquire the right to decide if a woman gets an abortion?” contains a complicated answer for various individuals based on their viewpoints. For others, the answer, just as simple as the question: no.  

  While two people prerequisite the process of creating a baby, only one will hold the responsibility of carrying the unborn child for approximately 40 weeks. Roughly 300,000 women die each year due to problems caused by pregnancy and childbirth. Therefore, if a woman decides to terminate her pregnancy, she should legally be able to. 

Under absolutely zero circumstances should a man possess legal rights over a woman’s abortion. This is because men cannot know what it mentally and physically feels like to carry a baby and will never bear the physical burden of an unwanted pregnancy. People should not make decisions on things they know nothing about. 

In countries such as Saudi Arabia, Equatorial Guinea and Syria, the father of the child must give consent before the woman acquires an abortion. This means that even if a woman wants an abortion, she cannot receive one unless the father signs off on it. Women suffer because of this horrific law. They must put themselves at risk of death, all because their husband does not want to permit them to abort the child.

Various men would rather their wife put the baby up for adoption and will tell them not to kill it. This, too, forms an unfair argument. Simply putting the baby up for adoption does not make the process of carrying a baby any easier and does not guarantee the woman will embody a healthy delivery process. 

“Abortions should be the woman’s decision. If a man might now always be present, why should he make the decision especially if the woman wants the child? If she doesn’t want the child because of financial issues, family issues, mental health, etc. then she has the right to do so,” sophomore Melissa Akakpo said. 

A woman knows her body the best.  She understands her limitations and what she can and cannot handle. Women do not represent pawns in a chess game. Men do not represent the kings and don’t need protection. Truth of the matter, women’s abortions impact the lives of the fathers. Men do possess emotions and feel them. However, just as they exist for women,  support groups help men cope with the loss of their child. 

Systematically,  men make the laws about women’s abortions. Generally, in America, women can not obtain an abortion after four to six weeks. The problem with this: countless women find out about their pregnancy too late. Men in political office, unfortunately, made the decision for them. This law silences women around the world and puts them in danger.

“In the past couple of years, laws have been made limiting the freedom a woman has over her own body. These laws, made by men, are wrongfully upheld. The law which gives women a brief time period, six weeks in some states, in which they are allowed to abort is especially unfair because some women are not aware they are carrying a fetus within that time period,” sophomore Nailah Goldsby said. 

On the other hand, many people will disagree with this argument. They believe men should have a say in abortions because they conceive the baby and it is their child too. This point of view does not make sense, however, because even though they took place in the process of creating the baby, the pregnancy will not directly impact their bodies in any way. Women should decide whether or not to obtain an abortion. 

Abortion, without a doubt, remains a sensitive topic. Women around the world ought to take a stand for their rights and the rights of fellow women around the world. Hopefully, society will come to their senses and not continue to gatekeep the rights women possess over their own bodies.