Unfair For Men To Subsidize Maternity Costs?
Men help make babies, shouldn’t they contribute to making sure that their babies are healthy?
Some Republicans say it’s unfair for men to subsidize women’s maternity insurance since only women use it.
Really?!
Is it fair that men’s contribution to making babies is a pleasurable orgasm, and that women’s contribution only begins with an orgasm — if she’s lucky (just 30% of US women always climax).
After maybe having an orgasm women end up with all the burden, varying from discomfort to possibly dying in childbirth.
In fact, one-third of American women experience a major complication in pregnancy.
Women didn’t choose to be the sex who took on all the burden. Why should they bear all the costs?
Anti-contraception folks say women choose pregnancy
“But, she chose to get pregnant,” these selfish people argue.
This, from the same folks who fight against birth control.
And whether contraception is used or not, about half of pregnancies are unintentional.
Women have lower pay and higher costs
Meanwhile, women are less able to afford higher health costs since they get lower pay.
And the same Republicans who say women should pay more are also against equal pay for equal work.
(Witness the Republican-appointed Supreme Court Justices who voted against equal pay in the Lilly Ledbetter case. And witness the Republican Congress members who refused to rectify that court decision by passing legislation in favor of equal pay.)
Anti-life pro-lifers
Republicans who say men should not subsidize maternity costs — leading to more deaths of women and babies — are the same ones who claim to be pro-life.
When moms don’t get good prenatal care they are more likely to die. And so are their babies, who are also more likely to suffer from respiratory distress or bleeding in the brain. Or to suffer from lifelong problems, like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Is it fair that, too often, babies who did not choose to be born will suffer death or lifelong health problems because some selfish Republicans say “Well, that doesn’t affect me.”
They are only “pro-life” when they can use it as an excuse to limit and control women.
Men help make babies
Men help make babies, shouldn’t they contribute to making sure that babies and their mothers are healthy?
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Posted on March 15, 2017, in politics/class inequality, reproductive rights, sexism and tagged Republican healthcare, sexism, unfair for men to subsidize women’s maternity insurance. Bookmark the permalink. 49 Comments.
BroadBlogs 
This article reminds me of the story of my sister’s friend. She married a man who comes from a wealthy family through the introduction of a matchmaker. In China, when a woman gets married, the man needs to pay a bride price. Her husband gave her parents 500,000 yuan to marry her. Before they got married, there was no love between them. But she believes that their relationship will get better if they have a child. When their first child was born, her husband did not give her living expenses and the cost of raising her son but let her pay. Despite this, her mother-in-law still asked her to have a second child.
In China, if a Chinese woman is going to become pregnant, the probability that the husband can take care of her and her children is very low, and it almost depends on luck. Therefore, the divorce rate in China is close to 50% because too many men in China are unwilling to spend time and energy to take care of the children after their wives give birth. They think it is the responsibility of women. If a woman has a stable income, then she can freely choose to divorce. And those women who resign because of pregnancy need to be supported by their husbands. Now in China’s first-tier cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen. More and more highly educated women are choosing not to have children or to give birth late. Because currently, China does not have a good enough welfare system to solve the problem of female maternity costs. To reduce the risk of pregnancy, women postpone marriage to have more opportunities to choose the most responsible husband.
I honestly do not understand why it is so hard to equalize modern society. I am not a mother but I cannot wait for that part of my life. Having said so, I don’t exactly know how many check-ups a mother-to-be has to attend for her health and her baby’s and what vitamins you have to take but I can imagine how hard it would be if you had to do it on your own. For the most part under normal situations, it should be a 50/50 situation. This starts at conception when the couple decided to have sex. To me, this should continue throughout the entirety of the pregnancy. However, the 2 people who are going to parent the child want to split up the 50 / 50 should be relative to their situation. Meaning, if the woman makes less money than the man, then the man should be required to pay their equal part relative to their pay. To me, it also does not stop at a monetary value, as time and effort should also be accounted for when helping out during the pregnancy. If a man does not want to be apart of the pregnancy then the man should be required to pay more than his 50% to fairly share responsibilities in something that started as a common decision.
I am curious about how those republicans who claims that it’s not fair for men to subsidize women’s maternity insurance treat his wives, and do them aware of that and support what their husband say? I think it’s more like universal values for the whole society to help women to through her pregnancy healthily and safely because it’s a tough job to carry a person with you for 9 months, and it’s even tougher to give birth for both babies and mothers. Of course some guys don’t get this because they never had a chance to experience the difficulty of pregnancy, and they never felt the pain when trying to get a person out of their body. And once again have those republicans think about their mothers of who actually give them chance to say such thing. And if we have to talk about unfair, how about the fact women’s salaries were only 77% of men’s when we have higher costs than them, and that is unfair. More importantly, after left the burden of pregnant to women, which is never who’s choice but nature’s, men should really think about their responsibility of giving a safe and healthy environment for mothers and babies.
Yeah, you really have to wonder how these men treat the women around them, their wives, their daughters, their coworkers. The whole attitude is so misogynistic and devaluing of women.
This implied political suggestion is ridiculous. Why would you cut off women’s subsidized insurance for something beyond their control?
It takes TWO people to make a baby- by investing in people, you receive a ROI in the form of elevated standards of living, lower poverty rates, greater class equality and empowered women (and men!)
Why is pregnancy shamed? Again, I think this dates back to centuries of internalized patriarchy- it is the childbearer who shall be blamed for all reproductive activities, according to society.
Women are built the way they are- punishing them for their natural body is a MAJOR trigger for body dysmorphia and eating disorders.
If you take care of the people who bring your children to life, then maybe we won’t have as many public health issues.
Everything is interconnected- it’s ridiculous to tunnel vision one’s way out of subsidizing maternity costs.
Sounds to me like these certain Republicans are afraid of sacrificing privilege, but many cannot see the ROI on sacrificing a sliver of it. You can still have your privilege, but just enough so that YOU and the rest of us can enjoy a peaceful, stable, SAFE society. Who doesn’t want that?
A lot of ideas coming from the Republican side look thoroughly misogynistic. If they don’t want to be accused of waging war on women, stop doing it!
Wow! That is jus crazy to hear that, that would even be a thing. I find it very unfair that it is the woman’s fault to get pregnant. Last I checked it takes two to get pregnant in the first place and it most of the time is a mutual choice. The women should always have the father present for moral support and financial support. After all they are carrying your child so you want to make sure the mom and the baby get the best care. In my opinion I think no matter the situation the men should support the baby and mom, especially with every thing the mom is going through it is very hard and support definitely helps.
It is amazing that some people will be so brazen as to suggest that because women’s bodies require more medical care that they should also bear higher costs! Like women have any choice in the matter!!
I agree with your points.
🙂
As addressed in the section “Anti-life pro-lifers,” this lack of balance seems to be consistent. Now instead of only fighting against maternal insurance, insurance as a whole seems to be only for the “stronger” individual—that is, the more income one has the more they benefit from and are able to obtain an insurance plan, according to the amended Affordable Care Act proposal. For those most affected by a need for maternal insurance (poor), they may not be able to afford seeing a return annually rather than monthly. Additionally, the removal of the tax penalty may help individuals who cannot afford care in the short-term, but this will definitely come back to bite people in the long run as stated in the statistics above. Without sounding too harsh, in response to an anti-contraception view combined with the Republican, this all seems very much like a survival of the fittest situation with no option to “opt out.”
The system has already been balanced out for healthcare. People just need to look at the big picture rather than only the immediate. Thank you for sharing.
Good thoughts.
When a newborn is brought into the world it a life changing experience for both parents. The government and pro-life republicans have tried controlling women by attempting to ban abortions, pay higher healthcare premiums, eliminate birth control, and by paying them lower salaries their male counterparts. I’ve asked myself, why does the government think they can control a woman’s body? This topic has generated a lot of controversies and it is concerning that women do not have full control over their reproductive rights. The United States should consider implementing a new policy that supports mothers and protect them from gender inequality. This law can help bridge the gap and provide women with equal salaries and help lower the cost of healthcare. Women’s reproductive rights should be controlled by the individual. The government should not be in control of a woman’s health, fertility or their lives.
Funny how these people want to get government out of our lives — except when it comes to controlling women’s bodies. Then they are all for it.
This is a sort of imbalance that completely disgusts me. These Republic men are so close minded and uneducated to think that women have the sole responsibility for bearing and raising a child. How is this still even an issue today? They make their laws to govern what we can and cannot do with our bodies and then are unwilling to accept the responsibility of those actions. This complete lack of responsibility and shame for their actions makes our life in their patriarchal society unbearable. They have their ideologies based on the bible, but are expecting to live in a world where those rules will bend for them. Also, the argument that “That woman chose to get pregnant” is completely illogical. A woman cannot choose to get pregnant without the help of a man. And if that women did not want to get pregnant, than maybe some inexpensive birth control would have solved that problem.
First and foremost Republicans’ main focus should be to improve the quality of life. Improving quality of life has to do with increasing life expectancy, a decline in infant and child mortality, and abolishing or shrinking most of infectious diseases. Currently, Republicans’ main focus is to limit and control women rights.
In my opinion, I think the individual should be responsible for their own insurance. If a women choses to have a child on her own, she should be responsible for all the maternity cost. Men should have the option to pay into maternity cost. Men should only have to pay maternity cost when they are expecting a baby and have unplanned pregnancy.
In summary, all Americans are in their right to have their physical needs of their bodies fulfilled is the main drive to the human rights movement. This incorporates the right to live on and to live free of justifiably avoidable pain. The right to adequate health functions directly or indirectly as a prerequisite to all other human rights. To refuse someone health care is to deny or damage all that individual’s rights. Deprived of health, individuals are denied their right to be supporting members of the community and to provide for their families. Individuals who are deprived adequate health care can consequently lose some or all ability to fulfill their civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights they have control over. It is challenging to foresee how adequate health care will change in the future.
I so don’t get the idea that men shouldn’t help support women’s maternity. The child ends up suffering. And the woman bears all of the physical costs of reproducing the next generation as it is. Why must she bear 100% of the burden, financially too?
But I agree with that first paragraph.
OMG…I’m outnumbered. Not even going to try to respond. The blind leading the blind. lol Mothers with kids should be paid a wage and stay at home. SuicideKidz help mom come home…i need u…where are u mom?
Paying mothers — or whichever parent wants to stay home — a wage actually makes a lot of sense. Raising children is one of the most important job as a person can do and yet we as a society act like it’s not important at all.
But it would be important to pay whichever parent is more interested in staying home. I have some conservative friends who believe that women should stay home but they always complain that it’s too bad that the dad can’t be the one to stay home with the kids. He doesn’t enjoy working outside the home and he is the better parent, they say. It’s really hard for her to not work because she enjoys work. Well, they actually could switch it around but their ideology takes their freedom of choice away.
Also, no one should be forced to stay home. That takes away our liberty.
People who combine work and parenting turn out to be the healthiest people. They are benefited by getting the benefits of both the loving, bonding relationships at home along with the growing demand and adult conversation of work. And if there is a difficulty in one’s fear it can be offset by the other.
Another reason why it’s important that not all women stay home is that we lose their talents. Maybe a woman is an amazing scientist, Dr., or she’s creative in someway, but all of us miss out on her talents that we could benefit from.
Plus if all women stayed home the world would be seen from only the perspective of men in the political and business spheres… and all others. We largely had that situation in the 1950s and women were hurt quite a bit. Women in the court room would be blamed for being raped because male attorneys, judges and juries couldn’t understand the horror of that crime. Or, no bathrooms had baby changing tables because architects never thought to include one. I could go on …
Businesses were also hurt because they didn’t know how to sell to women.
So it turns out that things aren’t as simple as they might seem.
Indigenous cultures have the mother staying with the kids till around 7 years of age, then dad can help with the rearing. That’s not to say dad can’t help in other way along the way. But females are nurturers. Breasts are symbolic of nurturing. If we think within the box we will just band-aid a broken system. The economy has been set up that bills are hard to pay off. Endless bills for the advertising mammoth. Both parents are working as an necessity. If mothers had financial security she wouldn’t mind staying at home. Tell me one person who likes work these days. Work is the new frontier, fraught with danger and upsets. A totally new way of thinking is inevitable. Outside the Box Simplicity. Share the wealth and spread it far and wide for all to have a decent and dignified life. Lets not pit one against the other but embrace each thought as our own and unify against those things that make us unhappy. Cheers https://amaezed.wordpress.com/
I have two thoughts, one that agrees with what you wrote and one that diverges.
Our economic system is set up such that almost all of the income games of the last four years of gone to the top 1% in a major redistribution of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy due to things like legal bribery (huge campaign contributions) which leads to policy like this: union busting, outsourcing, off-shoring, automation, not raising the minimum wage, pulling back the Earning Income Tax Credit, lower taxes for the wealthy and tax shelters for them too. (Some of that is political and some not — like the automation and globalization — but the gov could do more to relieve the stress of the transition — but hands-off libertarians don’t want that!)
On the other point I do know people who like to work. Like me! I get a tremendous amount of the intellectual stimulation and sense of meaning and purpose from my work.
After reading this article i can say that men should subsidize maternity costs with no doubt. There are many single moms that I know that are raising their children on their own, and not just that taking care of themselves as well. Since day one they have been the ones to care for the health of the baby and love their babies. Fed them, gave them attention, and anything they need. Men have the same right just as women to help pay for the baby’s insurance and the mothers. There is nothing more valuable than the life of the person that gave your child life, and without doubt the baby’s life. When a woman gets pregnant she doesn’t do it on her own, there is mutual agreement for the procedure of reproducing from men and women,but when there’s a pregnancy in between men want to easily get out of it by saying, “it wasn’t my fault, she chose to get pregnant” or “it’s not my fault she wasn’t taking birthcontrol”. And these men are the same men that want birth control to be banned, how ironic right? They don’t want birth control and they want no pregnancies, and these men are the ones that enjoy the pleasure of being with a woman. So why not help the woman and the child, I don’t think it’s fair that the males don’t get to share that mutual responsibility of taking care of both the mom and the babies care expenses. Every woman needs help as good as it might seem that she is doing on her own, because again she didn’t make the baby on her own. So if men don’t want birth control and they don’t want to have babies, than its simple, they shouldn’t have sex and not be pleasured by women,
Pretty crazy isn’t it?
In Canada, parents get 1 year with their newborn – to be split up between father\mother or mother\mother or father\father as they see fit. As a CHILDFREE WOMAN whose taxes subsidize this program, I am totally okay with this. Not because I feel like I’m subsidizing women or men, but that we’re giving this newborn the best chance at a healthy life. A year is really such a short time to bond with baby. To hear that there are people, fathers even, who can make such arguments is kind of disgusting, and delusional.
Yes, exactly!
While I’m not saying that this article/ blog is bias, it is also extremely negative towards the republican party. I would personally like to also hear about positives from either party in regards to this topic. It is unbelievable to me, however it’s the sad truth, that there are people fighting so that men don’t have to pay for prenatal and maternity costs. It takes two to create a child, and to say that it is the woman’s problem that she is having a child, is absolutely wrong. If they don’t want to have a child, deal with the costs, and push the burden onto the woman alone, then they shouldn’t be putting their dick in places that can cause pregnancy. Sex isn’t just for pleasure, the consequences are life altering.
The article would only be biased if it weren’t true that this message comes only from Republicans.
But this message only comes from Republicans. So it would be biased not to recognize that and instead present the false notion that the two parties are equal when they are not.
Cheers!
I guess I just have to ask about gay men. Do you think gay men should have to share in this cost? I don’t want to make any assumptions about you but as a gay man my self I want no part in making babies.
All human beings should play a role in making sure that our next generation of human beings are healthy and happy.
Gay men avoid the burden of having to produce the next generation. The least they could do is support those who do carry that burden.
I’ve never had children and myself and never expect to, but I am more than happy to support those who do. It is the humane way to behave.
I’m at a loss for words for the selfishness I too often see.
It’s chronically sad that there is even a discussion about this. The men who have the audacity to suggest they shouldn’t contribute towards maternity leave are patriarchal maniacs. The US supports mothers less than any other “developed” country, which is shameful. In the US, mothers can take up to 12 weeks off work after they have given birth, but with no guaranteed pay. European countries give an option of a year or more off work, and most will pay full salary for a good chunk of that time, with reduced pay thereafter. There needs to be a system in place which helps and supports mothers, and fathers who want to take time off once they start a family. The crazy irony is that all working women pay taxes. What would the men say if women suggested their taxes shouldn’t pay for anything that benefits men?
I am just amazed at how selfish some people can be. 😦
It’s infuriating to hear those comments from pro-lifers that put all the blame on women for pregnancy, ignorantly assuming all women have the choice in getting pregnant when it took so long before we even had a option to choose birth control… You’re right, it is absolutely unfair and selfish for Republican’s to think that a cause is unimportant simply because it does not personally affect them. This is indicator of how the lack of diversity in the right wing is harmful, especially to minorities. Disregarding the rights and options of women, who make up half of the population, makes it impossible to better our country as a whole. All policies made to improve living conditions will only favor conservative views, benefiting a small percentage of the population. It is like cleaning your room by throwing all of your dirty laundry under the bed. What is scary is that despite the evidence that clearly shows how the increase in reproductive rights through platforms like PP have had successful rates in safe sex, abortion, pre/postnatal care; men choose to believe these things aren’t important because it is not in their job descriptions as men nor does it benefit their pockets.
Their views are so contradictory, all over the place. Not to mention incredibly selfish. I’m amazed that anyone agrees with them.
Women are at the mercy of a patriarchal system that is consistently trying to control and dominate women and their lives, this is just more of the same. The idea that women have higher healthcare costs due to the fact that our bodies tend to be a little more complex than men’s is preposterous and any politician touting that they are pro-life should be all on board for women making sure that their bodies are in pristine shape in the off chance that a woman should become pregnant. These pro-life politicians are a unique blend of hot air and hypocrisy, they cry for the unborn babies and yet once those babies are born they seem to turn their backs on them and defund that policies and programs that ensure that these children will lead happy, healthy and productive lives. The health care system overall is stacked against women, they are often treated as thought their systems don’t exist or they are overreacting and we have to fight tooth and nail for the same benefits as men. It took me over 3 months to convince my doctors to give me a tubal ligation, that included me signing paperwork detailing the procedure with a 30 day waiting period after that, you know, in case I changed my mind. In that time I personally knew 2 men who walked into their doctors office, said they wanted vasectomies and were scheduled there and then. I’m still angry and frustrated that a physician was able to dictate what was best for my body and yet I was at their mercy, they make the rules.
Well put: “These pro-life politicians are a unique blend of hot air and hypocrisy, they cry for the unborn babies and yet once those babies are born they seem to turn their backs on them and defund that policies and programs that ensure that these children will lead happy, healthy and productive lives. ”
That, along with your personal story help illustrate how these people are not pro life. They want to control women. And make us feel disempowered and lesser than.
I thank the gods everyday that we have paid maternity leave here. We also have paid paternity leave. It’s a law that all companies have to offer it. And there’s even extra covered by the government if you want to take longer with your babby. I believe it’s up to 6 months paid all together. 6 months wasn’t enough for my sister so she took a year off. But 6 months of that was without pay and only on the pittance the government hands out for welfare. Still, I’m grateful we have that too. There’s much still to be done here that we’re fighting for. And it’s actually mind boggling that you guys have none of these things available to you if you chose to reproduce.
We could take a lesson from You!
Reblogged this on The Most Revolutionary Act and commented:
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Some Republicans say it’s unfair for men to subsidize women’s maternity insurance since only women use it. Really?! Is it fair that men’s contribution to making babies is a pleasurable orgasm, and that women’s contribution only begins with an orgasm — if she’s lucky (just 30% of US women always climax).
Thank you!
First of all, why is this even a problem? OF COURSE YOU NEED TO HELP THE MOTHER OF YOUR CHILD! It shouldn’t even be a question you need to ask. Do the republicans who say men shouldn’t help their pregnant lover even help their own wives? Do the republican wives support this idea??? Men should contribute, they are already making the women’s life miserable by carrying a human around for 9 months. Might as well help out with the money cause thats all men are really here for. And like you said, women don’t even make enough on their own to afford that kind of care because WE DON’T HAVE EQUAL PAY. Insurance is not cheap at all and maternity insurance is temporary so it might be super expensive because insurance companies try to get as much money in a limited of time because that is business. (capitalism).
And all of us should do our part to support those who have the burden of bearing and raising children– Raising the next generation, Even if we aren’t genetically related to the child. All children deserve to be healthy and happy. And our society is better off as a whole if they are.
Reblogged this on Rcooley123's Blog and commented:
Just when it seems we may have seen the extremes to which the political right will take its interminable War on Women, some duly elected “representative” chimes in with another attack. Often, as in this most recent case, the issue deals with women’s reproductive health care. These people need to be held accountable for this nonsense early and often – at the ballot box, town halls and any other opportunity that presents itself. – rjc
Thanks so much!
The cooments that are coming from members of our legislature are just
jaw-dropping. The Trump presidency has unleashed these backwards bigots and empowered them to spew out all of their vitriol directed at women, immigrants, racial and religious minorities and anybody else who doesn’t look and think like them. It’s hard to go through the day without becoming infuriated.
Sometimes I wonder if they are testing us to see what we will put up with in terms of limiting women’s rights. Which is a common early step toward dictatorship.
(DJT’s got a number of other worrying dictator-like traits and policies like disrupting the checks and balances on his power: the judiciary and the free press, and he wanted his inaugural parade to feature military vehicles. I worry that he is using the Muslim ban to provoke a terrorist attack that would give him an excuse to take away our rights. I’m glad to see the Marches and town halls that are working hard against these tendencies. But more on all this later.)
Agree with your comments, but thought they would be more effective is you simply say “some men” or “some people”.
But that would confuse the issue and weaken the argument. Because the problem stems from, as I said, some Republicans.
Rightly said
🙂