[GDG1235]

out of curiousity what is the rules on men and abortion say the father does not want the child but the mother does or if the father does and the mother doesnt?

[Sazzy890]

Legally the father has no say in whether the mother should have an abortion or not.

[GDG1235]

(Original post by Sazzy890)
Legally the father has no say in whether the mother should have an abortion or not.

then what if the father does not want the child but the mother does?

[Sazzy890]

(Original post by GDG1235)
then what if the father does not want the child but the mother does?

Legally he has to deal with it

(this is not necessarily my opinion, that's just the law as it is now)

[xXHolly_90Xx]

If the guy doesn't want it then he can't really do anything about it
Its completely the girls choice if she keeps the baby or not

[PinkMobilePhone]

yep, as it has been said, the father has no say in the matter either way. Ludicrous though that is.

[fredrum]

Well they can't prove who the father is, I would think that was the main reason behind the law. They can't force a woman to have or not have an abortion because of a potential fathers opinion.

NB: I DO think the fathers opinion should be taken into account. I just think that this is a fair point and probably the main reason why the law is how it is.

[History123]

The thing is there is no possible way to make the father involved, as much as he should.
If i wanted to keep a baby and my girlfriend got rid id be devastated.

[un-jardin-sur-le-nil]

I think its a shame the father has no say, but if you think about it, is is her body -- what if she didn't want it and he did, then she would have to go through 9 months of pregnancy, which really isn't easy, for something she doesn't want.

[TheQuietOne]

I think letting the father have as much say as the mother is impossible. As everyone else said, it's her body. Having to go through pregnancy and childbirth and then looking after a child for 18 years just because the father wants the child is no small thing, and definitely not something a woman should be forced into unwillingly. Forcing a woman to go through an abortion when she wants the child but the father doesn't is also no small thing. In the end if both parties have different opinions, it is always going to be the mother's decision that carries the most weight, simply because she is the one who has to go through pregnancy or abortion.

However if I was a guy and my partner was pregnant I would feel a bit miffed at having no say at all...I'd hope she would at least consider my opinion before she made her choice.

[Clare~Bear]

The father has no legal rights over whether the woman has an abortion, however, even if he wanted it to be aborted but the mum didn't, he still has a legal obligation to look after or at least give moeny towards the upbringing even if he isn't living with the mum and baby.

BUT some women may have circumstances, one of which that involve the father in some way which means that if they would really struggle to give the baby a decent life they would abort. Say the mum is the only worker in the house and the father is seriously ill/disabled with something he wouldn't recover from, it may mean that the father is a factor in the decision as due to his condition, he can't look after the baby and is someone the mum already has to care for, aswell as other factors.

[Sazzy890]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
BUT some women may have circumstances that involve the father in some way which means that if they would really struggle to give the baby a decent life they would abort. Say the mum is the only worker in the house and the father is seriously ill/disabled with something he wouldn't recover from, it may mean that the father is a factor in the decision as due to his condition, he can't look after the baby and is someone the mum already has to care for . . .

This isn't a valid reason for abortion under the Abortion Act 1967. Grounds for abortion:

(a)that the pregnancy has not exceeded its twenty-fourth week and that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or any existing children of her family; or


(b)that the termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman; or


(c)that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated; or


(d)that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.

[Clare~Bear]

(Original post by Sazzy890)
This isn't a valid reason for abortion under the Abortion Act.

I know, but I meant if that was a contributing factor, it could mean that because of the fathers condition it could be a deciding factor as they could possibly cope without him being like that. Say if the pregnancy could harm the mother, if she ends up ill and the father is aswell then there's noone left to look after 2 seriously ill poeple and a young baby and the parents don't want to have to adopt the baby off to strangers.

[Sazzy890]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
I know, but I meant if that was a contributing factor, it could mean that because of the fathers condition it could be a deciding factor as they could possibly cope without him being like that.

I guess it could contribute but that wouldn't be a deciding factor because the law does not allow it. Technically abortion is illegal unless it fits into one of those grounds for abortion.

I get what you're trying to say but it does not really fit in with the law/rules on abortion as the OP is asking. Maybe I'm just being picky (it's the lawyer in me)

[GDG1235]

so if the father does not want the child he still has to support the child even if he does not want the child?

[Sazzy890]

(Original post by GDG1235)
so if the father does not want the child he still has to support the child even if he does not want the child?

If the mother tried to get child maintenance through the Child Support Agency she would likely succeed.

[loz957]

I am against abortion except for certain cirsumstances such as rape. Even then I think it would be better for the mother to give the child away for adoption is she didn't want to keep the baby. If you are going to have sex you should accept there is always a chance the woman could get pregnant, so you should be responsible and deal with it. As for men legally having no say over the fate of their unborn child, that is disgusting. It takes 2 to make a baby. If a girlfriend of mine chose to abort without my consent I would never speak to them again.

[*Joanna*]

(Original post by loz957)
I am against abortion except for certain cirsumstances such as rape. Even then I think it would be better for the mother to give the child away for adoption is she didn't want to keep the baby. If you are going to have sex you should accept there is always a chance the woman could get pregnant, so you should be responsible and deal with it. As for men legally having no say over the fate of their unborn child, that is disgusting. It takes 2 to make a baby. If a girlfriend of mine chose to abort without my consent I would never speak to them again.

So how then would you deal with cases where the father prevented the mother from having an abortion because he said he wanted the child when she didn't but then he changed his mind? Then there's another poor child in the world that isn't wanted by either of its parents. It's all very well saying adoption blah blah but the adoption system in this country is not perfect and the child would more than likely be passed from pillar to post whilst waiting to be adopted and I don't think that's fair.

Any reasonable woman would take into account the views of her partner, but often abortions are the result of sex between strangers; it's inappropriate for a near total stranger to have a legal say in whether a woman has to have a baby she doesn't want when she is most probably going to end up being the one who cares for it. Ideally abortions shouldn't be required, but this is life and **** happens.