He Didn’t Want to Face Fatherhood…

“When I told him I was pregnant I would have loved for him to just put his arms around me and hug me,” but that wasn’t the reaction Taryn received from her boyfriend.

“He was very concerned about himself and how this was going to affect his life. He was completely overwhelmed and didn’t want to face fatherhood, and wanted me to have an abortion.”

Pregnancy help center surveys indicate up to 60% of women feel coerced by men into having an abortion.

Anti-Coercion Policies Increasing Among States

14 states require that a woman be informed she cannot be coerced into having an abortion as part of their informed consent regulations. (Sate Informed Consent Requirements)

The method states use to help ensure women know their rights varies widely. For example, Arizona requires abortion providers post signs in abortion facility waiting rooms saying that it is illegal for anyone to pressure a woman to have an abortion. Whereas, South Dakota requires women to submit to an interview at a state-sanctioned pregnancy help center to help screen for coercion.

Some states are moving beyond informing women that they cannot be coerced into having an abortion, enacting legislation criminalizing abortion coercion. In Michigan, for example, subjects charged with abortion could be faced with fines and, in some cases, prison time.

Americans United for Life, an anti-abortion policy group in Washington, D.C. specializes in anti-abortion model legislation and has developed model legislation for states entitled “Coercive Abuse Against Mothers Prevention Act.”

Anti-Coercion Policies Also Help Protect Fathers

Post Abortion Syndrome is often intensified in the case of coerced abortion, and in can affect men as well as women.

An estimated 4 million men in the US are struggling to cope with the loss of their children through abortion. Many willingly participated in the decision to abort and assisted their partners in securing an abortion, others pressured their partners into having an abortion, and some watched helplessly as their precious unborn child was aborted in spite of their pleas to give their baby life.

Stay informed about your state’s legislation on informed consent and abortion coercion. Elect state political leaders who will work to protect mothers and fathers in your community.

Click on the video above to watch a short clip from Brad’s interview with Taryn and Kaylin. Watch the full episode “No Regrets” from our Emmy® award-winning television program, Facing Life Head-On, here.

For insight into how abortion affects men, click here to watch “Men Hurt Too” from our Emmy® award-winning television program Facing Life Head-On.