Ejaculate responsibly : a whole new way to think about abortion

Ejaculate responsibly A whole new way to think about abortion

Gabrielle Stanley Blair

Book - 2022

Why abortion is a men's issue. By focusing on the role men play in unwanted pregnancy, Ejaculate Responsibly gets us out of the destructive loop centered on issues like when life begins and the injustice of legislating women's bodies and presents a powerfully fair and effective way out of the abortion impasse. Highly readable, funny, and unflinching, the book's 28 arguments walk readers through the basics of fertility (men are 50 times more fertile than women). The unfair burden placed on women when it comes to preventing pregnancy (90% of the birth control market is for women). The wrongheaded stigmas around birth control for men (condoms make sex less pleasurable, vasectomies are scary and emasculating). And the harsh reali...ty that men, who are fertile 100% of the time, take so little responsibility for preventing pregnancy. In a post-Roe world, this kind of negligence--an irresponsible ejaculation--is tragically wrong. --

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Subjects
Birth control.
Men > Sexual behavior.
Abortion > United States.
Published
New York : Workman Publishing 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Gabrielle Stanley Blair (author)
Other Authors
Bonnie Siegler (designer)
Physical Description
137 pages ; 21 cm
ISBN
9781523523184
  • The Arguments. Men are 50 times more fertile than women ; Sperm live for up to 5 days ; Women's fertility is unpredictable ; Ovulation is involuntary, ejaculation is not ; Birth control for women is hard to access and hard to use ; Birth control for men is easy to access and easy to use ; Society clings to the idea that men hate condoms ; Vasectomies are less risky than tubal ligations ; We expect women to do the work of pregnancy prevention ; We don't mind if women suffer, as long as it makes things easier for men ; Society teaches that the man's pleasure is the purpose and priority of sex ; Women can be impregnated without experiencing pleasure ; Men cause all unwanted pregnancies ; We expect women to be responsible for their own bodies AND for men's bodies ; We need to shift our focus to men ; Holding men accountable for their actions does not make women victims ; The uneven power dynamic between men and women is real and can turn violent quickly ; A woman can't walk out on a pregnancy ; We're not honest about pregnancy and childbirth ; The realities and burdens of parenting are unfathomable ; Pregnancy should not be a punishment ; Adoption is not an alternative to abortion ; There are zero consequences for men who ejaculate irresponsibly ; Sperm are dangerous ; Men have more control of their bodies and sexual urges than we like to admit ; Men can easily prevent abortions but choose not to ; We know what works ; This is how to take action.
Review by Booklist Review

This slim but mighty tome proclaims one very big idea: all unwanted pregnancies are caused by irresponsible ejaculations. Therefore, the number of abortions in this country could be greatly reduced if men would simply ejaculate more responsibly. A self-described "religious mother of six," Blair doesn't state her personal opinion about abortion in the book. Rather, she focuses on making an argument for how to reduce the number of abortions performed. Reading like an expanded Twitter thread, the book consists of 28 points that explain how the responsibility of pregnancy prevention is too heavily placed on women when in reality, all pregnancies are caused by the ejaculation of sperm. Blair argues that the burden of birth control, pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting weigh too heavily on women, while the source of that sperm is not legally or physically on the line for anything. So what does responsible ejaculation look like? Exponentially increasing the frequency of condom use and vasectomies. Blair offers an interesting take on a contentious and complicated issue.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this witty and cogent account, parenting blogger Blair (Design Mom) aims to "change the discourse" around abortion by pointing out that "99 percent of abortions are the result of unwanted pregnancies, and men cause all unwanted pregnancies." In her 28-point argument for why the focus should shift from women's bodies to men's responsibilities, Blair notes that women produce fertile eggs for 24 hours per month, while men's sperm is fertile "every single second of every single day"; that condoms are more available, easier to use, and have fewer side effects than hormonal birth control; and that women in the U.S. feel societal pressure to prioritize a man's pleasure over their own safety and autonomy. Blair also argues that pregnancy is not a "risk-free adventure" (700 to 900 women die from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes in the U.S. each year) and that adoption is not an easy alternative to abortion. Her plan for "stopping irresponsible ejaculations" includes destigmatizing condom use and vasectomies, fact-based sex ed, and "holding politicians accountable" for supporting policies that reduce unwanted pregnancies. Flashes of acerbic humor and eye-opening statistics bolster Blair's common-sense case. This polemic has the power to change minds. Agent: Meg Thompson, Thompson Literary. (Oct.)

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