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The financial burden may have evened out somewhat (note that motherhood decreases earnings, for instance, while fatherhood increases them). The social burden h

The financial burden may have evened out somewhat (note that motherhood decreases earnings, for instance, while fatherhood increases them). The social burden hasn't (the stigma of unwed motherhood remains; there's no significant stigma to unwed fatherhood). And you're completely ignoring the medical burden of pregnancy, which STILL includes risk of death. There's the physical pain of childbirth and major tearing of the flesh of one's genitals (and often added to that, a major abdominal surgery). And pregnancy often brings major changes to the body that linger for the rest of the woman's life - from swollen feet to incontinence. So men (those who don't discover that most states have a way for men to opt out of legal responsibility early in the pregnancy if they also relinquish all parental rights) now actually take on some responsibility for a pregnancy they participated in causing. Good. But don't think for a moment that the burden is now equal.

nxc18 10y ago
The woman should know those risks - if she follows through with an unwanted pregnancy despite those risks, the burden is 100% on her. If Elon Musk gave me a free ride on a rocket ship, I know the risks and I can refuse - I don't have to complain about how life is so unfair because the rocket ride could kill me.
aangjie 10y ago
> But don't think for a moment that the burden is now equal. I didn't say that. But the medical and social burden though real, are not things that should be tackled with policies to prevent. Medical burden is a law of nature. Neither of those are factors that should be neutralized.(Think surgical castration of women at puberty.. bad idea.) Social burden is there for a reason and society(and culture) will evolve if the reasons die out. So overall, complaining about burden of reproductive control is simply whining and reinforces the "women are whiners" cliche.

nxc18 10y ago

The woman should know those risks - if she follows through with an unwanted pregnancy despite those risks, the burden is 100% on her. If Elon Musk gave me a free ride on a rocket ship, I know the risks and I can refuse - I don't have to complain about how life is so unfair because the rocket ride could kill me.

aangjie 10y ago

> But don't think for a moment that the burden is now equal. I didn't say that. But the medical and social burden though real, are not things that should be tackled with policies to prevent. Medical burden is a law of nature. Neither of those are factors that should be neutralized.(Think surgical castration of women at puberty.. bad idea.) Social burden is there for a reason and society(and culture) will evolve if the reasons die out. So overall, complaining about burden of reproductive control is simply whining and reinforces the "women are whiners" cliche.