Oral
Bueno, X.; Mena-Melendez, L.; Crawford, B.L.; Turner, R.C.; Lo, W.; Jozkowski, K.N. (2024, April 17 - April 20). Men’s Views about Agency in the Abortion Decision-Making Process. Population Association of America (PAA) annual meeting, Columbus OH
Research examining how men in the general public view women’s and men’s role in
abortion is limited, but increasingly important in the wake of the Dobbs decision when access to
reproductive rights is not universal for women in the US. This study asks men what role they see
for men regarding their agency in the abortion decision. We explored 72 in-depth interviews
conducted in 2021. Results suggest that most men in our sample believe that abortion is
exclusively a women’s decision. Within this group, we identified several men who wanted men’s
opinion to at least be heard, while agreeing that the ultimate decision falls on women. Several
interviewees envisioned the abortion decision as a default joint non-conflictive decision among
partnered women. Finally, only a small number of interviewees argued that both women and men
should have equal agency, thus claiming for a greater role for men in the process.