5 Reasons Why Male Birth Control Might Just Be Able To Save The World
One of the most exciting recent news stories was the Parsemus Foundation's announcement that a male birth control shot could hit the market as early as 2017.
As someone who has always promoted fairness and equality, this is incredible news that could offer positive repercussions for males and females alike.
It could ultimately help our society in the long term. Here are five reasons why male birth control might be the best advent we've seen in years:
1. It balances the scales of equality
For far too long, a man’s future has been in the hands of the woman with whom he shares a bed. There are so many stories of men who were surprised to become fathers after being unaware of their partners' birth control regimens.
While the most obvious answer might be to use a condom, men are still often subject to manipulation.
2. It supports true feminist ideals
Back in the 1940s and 1950s, women had little to no option for birth control, and in some states, her husband had to approve before she could get it.
There was little recourse for marital rape, and if a man wanted a baby… well, he could probably force it to happen.
Today, women wouldn’t stand for such things. So, why do we find it acceptable for women to make men unwilling fathers? As a rational feminist, I believe that only two willing parents should be able to conceive a child. (Side note: This fully includes gay and lesbian partners who choose to bring a child into the world through whichever means they choose.)
3. It could help our economy
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2012, nearly 41 percent of births were to out-of-wedlock mothers.
In 1999, Isabel Sawhill of the Brookings Institute provided congressional testimony that showed a strong correlation between the increase in single-parent families (mostly due to unwed motherhood in the past few decades) and "virtually all of the increase in child poverty since 1970."
While some single mothers do stay with their partners, 60 percent of partners split within four years past the baby’s birth, thus putting the family under significant financial strain.
Even in low-income households, two parents raising children together are economically far better off than most single mothers.
In 2013, the federal government’s food stamp program served 46 million people. Two-thirds of the families were single-parent (usually mother) homes. Fewer single-mother births would most likely correlate to a decrease in the number of Americans living in and born into poverty.
4. It could save the children... literally
Other studies show that children born to single mothers are not just more likely to end up in poverty, but also at higher risk for developmental delays, social problems, depression and suicide. Also, they are less likely to attend college than their peers who were raised with two parents (even if the parents were divorced).
Far too often, when a woman chooses to keep a baby a man does not want, she is also sentencing the child to a life of poverty, depression and shame.
Our planet is at a drastic risk of becoming overpopulated, so if we reduce the number of births in general, we can focus more resources on helping a more narrow group of tomorrow's children.
5. It’s the morally right thing to do
Basically, if a man were to drug his wife, get her pregnant and force her to bear a child, he would probably go to jail for a very long time.
However, right now, if a woman has a child with an unwilling male participant, she can go to court and get child support, while still getting money from the federal and state government, as well as a host of other social services.
Why? Child support (unlike alimony) isn’t considered income under tax law. So, if a man pays a woman $4,000 a month in child support ($48,000 per year, tax-free), and she does not work, it still appears that she has zero income, and she can file for SNAP, Section 8 housing and other benefits.
Now, I’m certainly not placing all blame on women. Of course, there are deadbeat dads who are to blame, as well. I’m also not suggesting that everyone needs to get married, either.
However, being an unwilling parent is one of the worst responsibilities for said unwilling individuals to take on -- both for them as people and for their children.
We have empowered women to fight this fate, so now it’s time that we extend the same right to men.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of Elite Daily.
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