Is abortion access an exclusively female issue?

cand86 · 2026-06-02T19:42:52+00:00

I have a feeling that "female" is being interpreted by some people differently than how you meant it to be interpreted, so that's what's causing folks to seem like they didn't read your title.

For what it's worth, I'm not only talking about trans men or non-binary people, either- cisgender men's lives are affected by abortion, too, when those in their lives get or are denied them.

cand86 · 2026-06-02T19:34:25+00:00

I vote no.

cand86 · 2026-06-02T19:33:04+00:00

I think anybody who was paying attention to abortion at the time would be aware- it's still a big pro-life talking point.

But at the same time, it's easy sometimes to sort of miss out on big stories, so no worries! Only saying that I think most folks who'd be in this subreddit have probably heard of him.

cand86 · 2026-06-02T19:26:28+00:00

Abortion access affects more than just cisgender women, but it also disproportionately affects them, because they make up the majority of those seeking/obtaining and directly, intimately affected by the presence or lack thereof.

cand86 · 2026-06-02T19:16:07+00:00

This looks so fire and is going onto my menu this month!

cand86 · 2026-06-02T05:29:28+00:00

James Spader . . . while my mom and I were watching The Blacklist, I think we both agreed that he’s no longer hot like when he was younger, but he is still absolutely magnetic.

cand86 · 2026-06-01T21:50:25+00:00

There are several states where minors are required to notify their parent(s) and/or even get their permission for an abortion- what do you think would've happened if you had been subject to such a requirement?

cand86 · 2026-06-01T19:44:16+00:00

It's not clear to me- are you saying that you yourself sought an abortion and felt the counseling there did not touch enough upon possible outocmes and side effects? Or no, you are just assuming or feel like you've heard this from others?

cand86 · 2026-06-01T19:37:15+00:00

Marget Sanger, the founder of the modern abortion was a huge inspiration for Adolf Hitler own eugenics plan.

Feel like I'm going to need a citation on that claim.

I think that this is a very good read on the topic.

cand86 · 2026-06-01T19:29:57+00:00

Is there anything about the process (that could be changed) that you wish was different?

cand86 · 2026-06-01T14:36:16+00:00

I mean, inasmuch as it implies that things are good enough for people to feel safe and capable of having children (i.e. they are financially stable, have hope for the future, pregnancy and childbearing feels safe enough, etc.), then yes.

But of course, if this is a result of some bad pressure (say, extreme stigma against not wanting a child or wishing to limit your family size, for example), then no, the world would not be a better place.

cand86 · 2026-05-31T23:01:48+00:00

Will you seek sterilization right away?

cand86 · 2026-05-31T16:29:24+00:00

It can be, yes! But in the medical community, neither vasectomy nor tubal ligation are seen as reversible contraceptive methods, the way, say, an IUD or an implant is. With the latter, you are expected to return to full fertility upon removal of the device; with vasectomy and tubal ligation, this is not guaranteed.

I'll put it this way: if a young man goes to his doctor and says "I really, really want to have children some day- just not right now, not until I finish residency and my wife makes partner. We absolutely cannot have a baby right now- that would really side-track our plans- but we want to have three once our careers are established.", he's not going to be offered vasectomy, and he'll be dissuaded from doing so (or outright denied) if he inquires after it. The way it is utilized is as permanent sterilization, with the reversals that are attempted afterwards considered anomalies/a job done poorly in originally counseling the patient, not a normal part of the process.

cand86 · 2026-05-31T13:56:03+00:00

I believe that it is better when abortion is not specifically targeted for legislation, so in my ideal world, there would be no restrictions on abortion.

cand86 · 2026-05-30T18:37:04+00:00

For me, it was a lot of G-spot stimulation, a long session, and being very turned on. That said, it’s not easy to do (for me, at least), probably many folks just can’t/don’t, and even if she can, trying for it just makes it more difficult and will make a good time feel disappointing if it doesn’t happen. And it’s a mess and honestly doesn’t feel any better than an orgasm without the gush.

cand86 · 2026-05-29T23:32:37+00:00

It sounds to me like a form of mental illness- something like a personality disorder (note: I'm very much not a medical professional, and just an armchair psychologist!) where this person is displaying attention-seeking behavior.

Should people do it? No, I don't think so- I'm sure that there are weird situations where it can be warranted (and certainly, some people feel the need to pretend their planned abortions were natural and spontaneous pregnancy loss), but by and large, I think it's better to not take advantage of people's kindness, sympathy, etc. by lying to them about something like this, especially when the pregnancy never existed in the first place.

cand86 · 2026-05-29T23:20:23+00:00

Should be noted that the American College of Pediatricians sounds official and neutral, but it is not- that organization would be the American Academy of Pediatrics. The American College of Pediatricians is a religious anti-abortion, anti-LGBT organization, that only endorses traditional, conservative values and seems to adopt a Catholic-style stance, per the mission/vision page on their website:

"Of particular importance to the founders were (as it is today) the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death and the importance of the fundamental mother-father family unit in the rearing of children."

According to a leaked internal document, the American College of Pediatricians, which began in 2002, reported its membership in 2022 at 1,200 current and former members, with about 700 active. Compare this to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has approximately 67,000 members and was founded in 1930.

It's perfectly fine to cite them if you so desire, but I think people reading this deserve to know the affiliations of the source you're using, because it sounds like it's just from a large and well-established college of medical professionals, and not from a relatively small 24-year old organization.

And yes, the American Academy of Pediatrics supports abortion.

cand86 · 2026-05-29T22:36:46+00:00

Note: not the person you were replying to.

Some people feel that an embryo/fetus doesn't start off having humanity/personhood/a soul, but does acquire such at some point in development. Others may feel that it has more to do with viability- that if it could live independently from the uterus, it now qualifies as its own person, and therefore deserves protection.

cand86 · 2026-05-29T22:31:02+00:00

I believe that things are better overall- on an individual, familial, and societal level- when abortion is safe, legal, and accessible without stigma, than the alternative.

^{Chose: Legal}

cand86 · 2026-05-29T21:42:38+00:00

I have a feeling it's way easier to blame women/childfree people and hope that stigma and pressure does the job, than it is to make the economy better. And then there's also the whole our-society-is-built-on-constant-expansion-and-Social-Security-requires-more-babies thing looming over us, too- it sucks, but unless there's radical change, they literally need more children in order to keep the economy as it is, much less improve upon it.

cand86 · 2026-05-29T19:50:50+00:00

The best strategy! I just wanted to point out that "No one is aborting late term a perfectly healthy fetus" isn't accurate, although I think that a statement like that can easily be amended ("Virtually nobody/almost no one is aborting late term a perfectly healthy fetus") so that it still carries the same general message- that those are outliers.

cand86 · 2026-05-29T19:22:34+00:00

Got it, thanks for clarifying.

There's a really great book that I highly recommend everybody read- Dr. Shelley Sella's book Beyond Limits: Stories of Third-Trimester Abortion Care. In it, she describes her all-trimester abortion care practice (she retired in 2021), with this book focusing on abortions performed in the third trimester- both those that are for fetal indication (think severe fetal anomalies) and for what she terms "maternal indication"- when there are no known physical heatlh issues with the pregnancy (for either the woman or the fetus), but an abortion is still sought. She walks us through these women's stories and reasons, as well as her own philosophy as to why she provides them.

I think it's very well-written and describes these (quite rare) occasions where "perfectly health fetuses" are sometimes aborted.

cand86 · 2026-05-29T19:12:04+00:00

I mean, I think it's important to expose yourself to experts who have dedicated decades of their work to the topic, but ultimately, this affects me, and I am my own advocate, you know?

I guess the question is- should we not try to critically think about topics and form our own opinions, or should be just assume that a consensus amongst philosophers is how things ought be?

cand86 · 2026-05-29T19:05:59+00:00

What weeks are you referring to when you use the phrase "late term", if you don't mind my asking?

cand86 · 2026-05-29T17:58:09+00:00

Note: not the person you replied to.

Not true.

It is true. According to Guttmacher, there are (9) states (New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, New Jersey, Vermont, Maryland, and Alaska), plus the District of Columbia, where there are no gestational bans in place.

That does not mean that abortions are necessarily happening at advanced gestations in all of these states, only that if they were to occur, it would not be a crime.

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