Should ‘Male Abortions’ Be Legal Within The First 18 Weeks?

A new proposal from Sweden’s Liberal Party’s young wing says that men should have the same right as women to decide not to be a parent and to be free from any responsibility in raising the child. Essentially, a male abortion.

The Swedish are calling this action legal abortion, which is funny because we have the same thing in the United States but we call it being a jerk.

The proposal says that men who don’t want to be dads should be allowed to have a legal abortion up to the 18th week of a woman’s pregnancy. Coincidentally, the cut-off date corresponds with the last week in which a woman can terminate a pregnancy in Sweden.

By obtaining a legal abortion, men wouldn’t have to pay any child support and would be free of having any connection with their child. They also wouldn’t be allowed to meet the child at any point in the future. 

“This means a man would renounce the duties and the rights of parenthood,” LUF Väst chairman Marcus Nilsen told The Local.

The group claims that allowing these male abortions would give equality for the sexes and let expectant mothers know if their partner is willing to commit to parenthood.

Oddly enough, the idea of male legal abortions was suggested by female members of the Liberal party, as Nilsen confirmed: “This motion was actually put forward at our annual meeting by a group of girls.”

This isn’t the first time that the Liberal Party has suggested something outrageous. Last month, they put forth two proposals: one that wanted to legalize sibling incest for over-15 year olds, and another to permit consensual necrophilia in cases where the deceased had written post-life sex requests into a will.

I guess after legalizing incest and consensual necrophilia, suggesting male abortion is pretty normal.

This story by Christine Schoenwald originally appeared on YourTango, a feminist news+culture website.