Matilda Omonaiye/
Lawmakers in Mississippi and Ohio, in the US, have introduced bills that would impose fines on men for ejaculating without the intent to conceive a child.
Dubbed the ‘Contraception Begins at Erection Act,’ these proposals seek to criminalise male reproductive behaviours that do not aim toward procreation.
The Mississippi bill, introduced by State Representative Bradford Blackmon, proposes fines escalating from $1,000 for a first offense to $10,000 for a third offence.
Exceptions are made for sperm donation and consensual contraceptive use within a couple.
If enacted, the law would take effect on July 1, 2025. Similarly, Ohio’s version of the bill includes comparable fines and stipulations.
Representative Blackmon emphasises that the bill is designed to draw attention to the fact that most reproductive rights legislation disproportionately targets women.
“All across the country, especially here in Mississippi, the vast majority of bills relating to contraception and/or abortion focus on the woman’s role when men are fifty percent of the equation,” Blackmon stated. “This bill highlights that fact and brings the man’s role into the conversation.”
In Ohio, State Representatives Anita Somani and Tristan Rader introduced their version of the bill to underscore the absurdity of regulating reproductive rights.
Somani, an obstetrician-gynecologist with three decades of experience, remarked, “You don’t get pregnant on your own. If you’re going to penalise someone for an unwanted pregnancy, why not penalise the person who is also responsible for the pregnancy?”
She further clarified that the bill aims to initiate dialogue rather than become law.
“It’s more to make the statement and start the conversation,” Somani added. “I’m here to show the absurdity of regulating anybody’s rights.”
These legislative proposals emerge in the wake of significant changes to women’s reproductive rights in the United States, notably the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which had federally protected abortion rights since 1973.
Currently, ten states have enacted laws prohibiting abortion, even in cases of rape.
Critics of the bills argue that they trivialise serious legislative processes.
Ohio State Republican Representative Austin Beigel commented, “It’s beyond ridiculous what’s going on here. It’s a mockery of the most basic biological concepts.”
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