Abortion: Also, A Male Issue

The question of male involvement in the pro-life movement is one I encounter frequently in my role as the CEO of Cherish Life. Whether speaking at events across Queensland or occasionally on the national stage, I am often asked, “What is it like being a man who leads a pro-life organisation?” 

This question reflects the broader cultural assumption – that abortion is exclusively a “women’s issue.” This framing, abortion as a women’s issue, has become deeply embedded in society, with men’s voices effectively absent. A recent example was my appearance on SBS Insight, where the very first question I was asked centred on this issue. Although my response was not ultimately aired, the question itself illustrates a pervasive societal attitude: abortion is seen as a matter for women, and men shouldn’t dare speak on this issue.

What follows are several reasons why this narrow framing is both inaccurate and unhelpful, along with a brief explanation of the critical role men can and should play in conversations surrounding abortion.

Abortion is a Human Problem

First and foremost, abortion is far more than a woman’s issue – it is fundamentally a human rights issue. The practice of abortion does not merely end the lives of unborn girls—it also ends the lives of unborn boys. Furthermore, beyond the immediate victims, abortion affects society. In Australia, taxpayers’ dollars help to fund these procedures through Medicare rebates. To label abortion solely as a “women’s issue” therefore distorts the reality of what is happening and obscures the fact that it is a practice with profound consequences for everyone.

A Classic Ad Hominem Fallacy

Secondly, the legitimacy of arguments for or against abortion does not depend on the gender of the person making them. The discussion transcends gender. As R.C. Sproul rightly states, ‘If abortion is just, then it doesn’t matter who argues for it—male or female. The argument must be decided on its own merits, not on the personalities involved.’[i]

Excluding men from the conversation is not only intellectually dishonest but also inherently sexist.[ii] As Francis Beckwith observes, if we were consistent in applying this logic, we would have to dismiss the Roe v. Wade ruling itself since it was decided by nine male justices.[iii] Moreover, we would need to discount the contributions of male staff at pro-abortion organisations like Planned Parenthood and Marie Stopes.

When I arrived in Australia, the Managing Director of Marie Stopes Australia (the biggest abortion provider in Australia) was a man, Jamil Hakim, the current Managing Director is Greg Johnson[iv] and the global CEO, is Simon Cooke.[v] Barbara Baird, a pro-abortion scholar, even notes that ‘private abortion clinics were predominantly owned and run by male doctors until well into the 2000s.’[vi] If men are disqualified from participating in the abortion discussion, then pro-abortion advocates, to be logically consistent, need to reject many of their own leaders and decision-makers.

This framing of soley being a woman’s issue ultimately commits the ad hominem fallacy. This fallacy shifts attention away from the argument and towards the person making it—in this case, focusing on gender rather than the argument itself. To further illustrate the inconsistency, consider a man presenting arguments for abortion to a woman opposed to abortion. Should she reject his position simply because he is male, or should she evaluate his argument on its own merits? Let’s be honest, what is being argued isn’t that men should stay silent on abortion, but rather, that no man is allowed to speak on abortion—unless he agrees with the pro-abortion narrative!

Men’s Liberation or Men’s Abdication?

The slogan “my body, my choice” has been used effectively to exclude men from the abortion conversation, but as John Ensor and Scott Klusendorf observe, it has also functioned as a convenient excuse for immature men to evade their responsibilities. They write, ‘it can only mean one thing to him: Pregnant? Not my problem!’[vii] In this sense, abortion can be seen as a perverse form of ‘men’s liberation,[viii] freeing men from the obligations of fatherhood while leaving women to bear the emotional and physical burdens alone.

Ensor and Klusendorf also highlight the significant and disturbing role men play in coercing women into abortion decisions. Frederica Mathewes-Green, in her study Real Choices, found that 38.2% of women who had abortions did so because of pressure from a husband or boyfriend.[ix] Similarly, sociologist Dr. David Reardon found that 55% of post-abortive women reported being influenced by someone else, with 51% identifying that person as a husband or boyfriend.[x] These statistics underscore the irony that men are deeply involved in abortion decisions—yet, according to cultural narratives, they are told they have no voice in the broader debate.

Men’s Moral Responsibility

Finally, while it is a tragic truth that some men have been complicit in the mistreatment of women and the abandonment of their children, this is precisely why good men cannot remain silent. Men bear a responsibility to stand up for life and support women facing unplanned pregnancies, to offer heartfelt assistance rather than passive indifference. As Ensor and Klusendorf put it, ‘Abortion is a men’s movement. Ending it will require mature and faithful men to man up!’[xi]

Men and the Aftermath of Abortion

Another often overlooked dimension is the impact of abortion on fathers. For every aborted child, there is not only a mother but also a father. Many of these fathers grieve in silence, their pain dismissed by a culture that insists they have no right to feel anything at all. Dr. Lizzie Ling highlights the emotional toll abortion can take on men, writing that they frequently experience profound guilt and sorrow, ‘either when they have had to stand by as a child of theirs has been aborted or as a result of the guilt they have felt having coerced someone into having an abortion.’[xii] As post-abortion counsellors can testify, the silence imposed on fathers whose children have been aborted, does not erase their suffering—it only deepens it.

In summary, the exclusion of men from conversations about abortion is not only logically inconsistent but also harmful—to women, to men, to society and of course to the unborn. Men have both a right and a responsibility to engage in these critical discussions. I am convinced we would see a dramatic reduction in abortions immediately, without legislative change, simply by would-be fathers stepping up and stating to their partner, who may be considering an abortion, “I love you. I am here for you, whatever it takes, together we will raise our beautiful child”.

[i] Sproul. R.C. Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue. Florida: Reformation Trust Publishing. 14.

[ii] Sproul. R.C. Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue. Florida: Reformation Trust Publishing. 14.

[iii] Beckwith, Francis. Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 24.

[iv] MSI Reproductive Choices. “Greg Johnson”. Accessed 6 March, 2025. https://www.msichoices.org/who-we-are/our-team/greg-johnson/#:~:text=Greg%20Johnson%2C%20Managing%20Director%2C%20MSI%20Australia

[v] MSI Reproductive Choices. “Simon Cooke”. Accessed 6 March, 2025. https://www.msichoices.org/who-we-are/our-team/simon-cooke/

[vi] Baird, Barbara. Why Abortion is Healthcare. Victoria: Melbourne University Press, 43.

[vii] Ensor, John and Scot Klusendorf. Stand for Life: A Student’s Guide for Making the Case and Saving Lives. Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. 2012.

[viii] Ensor, John and Scot Klusendorf. Stand for Life: A Student’s Guide for Making the Case and Saving Lives. Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. 2012.

[ix] Ensor, John and Scot Klusendorf. Stand for Life: A Student’s Guide for Making the Case and Saving Lives. Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. 2012.

[x] Ensor, John and Scot Klusendorf. Stand for Life: A Student’s Guide for Making the Case and Saving Lives. Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. 2012.

[xi] Ensor, John and Scot Klusendorf. Stand for Life: A Student’s Guide for Making the Case and Saving Lives. Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. 2012.

[xii] Ling, Dr. Lizzie & Vaughan Roberts. Talking Points: Abortion. Epsom: The Good Book Company, 2020. 65.