If there is a pregnancy, there is a father. There seems to be an unspoken influence on the abortion issue, and we must recognize it. Who do women turn to first for advice? Who is the most influential woman when faced with difficult life decisions? At Care Net, after our research over the past few years, we don’t have to wonder.
Three-quarters, or 74 percent, of men reported that their partner talked to them before having an abortion. This finding comes from our survey of over 1,000 men. We now know that 38 percent of men say they have the greatest influence on women’s decision to have an abortion. Women said the same thing in an independent survey. Make no mistake, there is a fight for life in this moment of decision, and men must speak up.
Dave Andrusko, writes for LifeNewsserves as editor of National Right to Life News and the author/editor of several books on abortion topics, recently published a post titled, If Some Men Are Responsible Fathers, Abortions Drop By Nearly 40%. In his post, he mentioned partnering with Lifeway Research found that “Nearly four in 10 men with a girlfriend or wife who had an abortion say they had the greatest influence on the decision to terminate the pregnancy.”
Sponsored by Care Net, the study is about 1,000 men “who had a female partner who had an abortion and found out about their partner’s pregnancy before their child was due.” Three-quarters (74%) of men reported that their partner talked to them before having an abortion.
The report revealed that 38% of men said they had the most influence on the decision to have an abortion. This was followed by 18% who said it was a medical professional and 14% who said it was the woman’s mother. Only 4% said it was the abortion provider. “When we surveyed women who had abortions, they indicated that men were the most influential factor in their decision,” she said. Roland Warren, President and CEO of Care Net. “Care Net recognized that despite this influence, men’s role has been underexplored. This new study directly examines their feelings and experiences when the decision to have an abortion is made.”
Additional insights from the survey highlighted:
- 42% of men strongly encouraged or suggested that their partners proceed with abortion
- 31% avoided giving advice
- 8% strongly opposed the idea of abortion
How do all these statistics look in practice and life? Great question. Glad you asked. Exhibit A: Lisa Hogan, executive director of the Sav-A-Life Vestavia pregnancy resource center in Alabama, told Christian Post about the great efforts his clinic has made, “working hard” to get fathers more involved in the decision-making process.
Research tells us that fathers are already involved in the process, but Hogan empowers men to answer the call to fatherhood. From attending difficult first appointments and providing fathers with the one-on-one skills and counseling training needed, he and his center help men truly have an educated and empowering voice in the process, who wish to achieve better long-term outcomes for the child when fathers are actively involved.
Hogan’s clinic sees more than 1,000 fathers annually. He shared the message that if the mother is pregnant, the father is already a parent. “When a mother calls to make an appointment for a pregnancy test or ultrasound, particularly if they’re abortion-minded … we encourage them to bring the baby’s father to the appointment,” Hogan said.
“We have male advocates who are trained to meet [the fathers]one-on-one, to talk, to teach them through it, to give them a voice in the process.” He said, “We know that if the father is engaged, we will have a better long-term outcome in the child’s life.” At Care Net, we know that fathers have a big influence on families—not just them. life or death moments—but the father is the biggest influence on his family in the long run as well. Dad, you have a voice, use it for life.
