Men should have zero say on abortion
By Cody Andrus
Abortion is a deeply personal issue that has long been debated. But the central premise remains: reproductive rights are about bodily autonomy, and no one should interfere with a woman's right to make decisions about her own body. Men should not have any authority in abortion decisions. The law, especially after the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, and its recent dismantling by the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, should be centered on a woman’s right to choose—free from the input of men.
In Roe v. Wade (1973), the Supreme Court affirmed that women have a constitutional right to access abortion. This decision underscored that reproductive rights fall under the right to privacy, which is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. By making this ruling, the Court emphasized that a woman's decision about her body should not be subject to external interference. Since men do not bear the physical and emotional burden of pregnancy, their input should not factor into a decision that is deeply personal and unique to women.
While the Dobbs ruling in 2022 overturned Roe, returning the power to regulate abortion to individual states, it didn’t change the underlying principle that abortion is an issue of bodily autonomy. In fact, the decision has renewed debates about whose voices should influence such laws.
This is not a matter of men versus women, but a fundamental question of personal liberty. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her dissenting opinion in Dobbs, "The Court’s failure to safeguard a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body is a profound loss of personal liberty." This illustrates that the conversation should be focused on the rights of the individual, specifically the woman who is directly affected, rather than men who do not bear the consequences.
Men should not hold any legal or moral authority over a woman's choice regarding abortion. It is crucial to recognize that involving men in these decisions introduces a power imbalance and risks prioritizing external opinions over a woman's personal autonomy. As legal expert Reva Siegel notes, "Abortion restrictions reflect a fundamental inequality, where women's autonomy and decision-making capacity are subordinated to others" (Siegel, 2020).
Ultimately, the conversation about abortion should remain focused on the rights and bodily autonomy of the individuals who are directly impacted. The Supreme Court's role in shaping this debate cannot be overlooked, but the guiding principle should always be the protection of personal liberty—without men imposing their opinions on a decision that does not affect their bodies.
Roe v. Wade (1973), Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Reva Siegel, 2020
