All males in the U.S. could get a vasectomy when they are ready to be sexually active. Vasectomies are very safe, highly reversible, and about as invasive as a woman getting an IUD implanted. In most cases, there’s some soreness afterwards for about 24 hours, but that’s pretty much it for side effects.
So this was my thought as well. Because I know they “cauterize” the vas deferens when men want complete sterilization, but the tying method, and the “no scalpel” method are the easiest to get, initially, and in the case of the former, reversal success is extremely high, but that surgery is a bit more “involved.”
But after having three children, two via natural childbirth, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that the men I know who have had vasectomies experienced, not 9 months of physical trauma, not horrific childbirth complications, and so on…but a couple days where they couldn’t work out. So methinks you’re right on the money on this one.
What’s also intriguing: insurance companies, and employers who provide insurance, don’t seem to have a problem with Viagra, Cialis, being covered, but won’t cover BC for women? Hm. The stink of “double-standard” reeks, here.
My daughter, newly divorced, had a man come over, one thing led to another and she asked him if he had a condom. Now, these are men in their 20’s now, so they weren’t raised in the Age of AIDS. The guy looked at her as if she’d just eaten a bug: “Why would *I* have a condom?” he asked. Uh…because it’s YOUR dick and what ejaculates out of it that causes pregnancy, dumbass. THAT’S why.
It’s like a woman with a newborn coming over to someone’s house and being stunned they don’t carry formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, etc. I mean, JEEZ. How it is her responsibility to bring those things when clearly, when the host invited her, he/she KNEW she’d be bringing her baby…how very inconsiderate.
And the point you made about abortion prevention is excellent. It’s been something I’ve wanted to pitch to the local PP, because I write short screenplays for YouTube, and I’ve got three ready to go,
TBL? If it’s against your personal beliefs to have an abortion, don’t have one. If it’s against your personal beliefs to have an abortion, don’t have unprotected sex. But “Teen Sex Happens.” And most adults know it, religious or not, because they did it, or know someone who did. WHat could their parents have done to stop them, hm? “Life, uh, finds a way…” said Dr. Malcolm in Jurassic Park, I believe. And having sex is a part of life.
So…the best way to STOP abortions? Make birth control as easy, readily available as possible. Educate teens (perhaps a HEALTH class in Jr. High, only not sponsored by the school, but contracted out, like driver’s ed. is now) to Planned Parenthood.
Parents will have to pay a one-time fee for a 4–6 hour course in the evenings, PP keeps the money to expand their educational program to include safe sex w/r/t STDs, and then the kids are taught everything from correct methods of coitus interruptus, to all BC options, to what “life” looks like when you have a baby in your teens. Not “shame-based” or “scare tactic.” A reality-based look at how a child changes your world, forever.
And perhaps toss in all the children in the U.S. who are victims of abuse, neglect, who go to bed hungry, because an unwanted pregnancy does NOT always evolve into a wanted child, sadly. I’d even posit, based on the socio-economics and education level of the future grand/parents, the “unwanted child” scenario is even more of a reality.
Then, gosh, let’s throw in funding to build a special high school for teen parents. There will be a medical clinic, a daycare, and kids get their GEDs with mandatory parenting classes, classes in: emotional intelligence, human and childhood development, and of course, trade classes, because forget that Masters or PhD for a spell, yeah?
Gosh. That seems so expensive compared to a tiny poke when your son becomes sexually active. And when he’s ready to start a family… he’ll need to have health insurance to pay for the reversal…thus assuring he’d not only WANT a child with his wife, but could afford it because he’s got a steady job with benefits.
Is ANYONE seeing a downside here?? Oh! I almost forgot, because we need to respect the religious folks’ rights to keep their kids from the “Planned Parenthood values,” (or lack thereof, amiright?)
For those (self)righteous parents who think their kids will abstain because they told them to? If/when their child gets pregnant, or fathers a child before 18, the kids will not be eligible for State-funded Baby Your Baby medical care, CHIP, state-funded medicaid, WIC, SNAP, etc.
Just like if illegal drugs are found in the homes of innocent parents, and they are thus held legally accountable — no matter where the impregnation took place — the onus for paying all child/mother medical/healthcare, maternity needs, newborn needs, will fall to both the father and mom-to-be’s parents. Like ORS on steroids, it suddenly BECOMES, literally, A FAMILY AFFAIR. So the grandparents will be held responsible for their kids getting all their needs met, and the forth-coming child’s needs as well. Finally, a social scenario where willful ignorance and delusional moral-superiority does NOT pay.
A better incentive, I think, than threats of Hell.
*Update/addendum*
Hey, after reading some of the angry comments, those who obviously miss the point — that you were using satire to point out the current political and social zeitgeist of reproductive rights, I stand by my strategy above. 50/50 enough for ya? I think it is. Assuming there are 2 grandparents. If not, because ONE of them ran off, well, let’s find them. Parenting kids doesn’t end because you decide to leave the other parent to parent alone.
