Your Responsibility as a Man

My girlfriend is pregnant...

I want her to get an abortion... Abortion may seem like the best option because it appears to remove the problem. However, it may cause many more problems. When a man helps his girlfriend/wife to take deliberate steps in making a good decision, the couple may make it through stronger and healthier in their relationship. In our experience, most relationships deteriorate within six months after an abortion.

I will support her either way... It’s important to be supportive; but be careful. Remember that this is your child too and your influence in the decision-making is crucial to your girlfriend. It’s important that you educate yourself to help her make the decision that will be healthiest for all of you.

It’s her body and her responsibility... So many men facing an unplanned pregnancy run out when the going gets tough. It seems like the easiest thing to do; but somewhere down the road there are usually regrets. In our experience, a man who sticks by and does what he can to ensure the safety and health of his girlfriend and child are healthier and stronger. This is the kind of man that someday a child will look up to.

If we keep this child, what if we don’t want to get married? It’s important for the welfare of your child and the mother of your child that you assume the role of protector and provider during this time in which you are the man in her life. Marriage isn’t always the best idea for a couple who had not already planned to get married. It is still in your own best interest to care for them; leaving you fewer regrets at a later time. You and your girlfriend should make a plan to give each of you time with the child and shared responsibility.

There are also other options for you. Adoption is often seen as a negative choice but it’s really a loving decision for a couple who are not prepared to parent a child together. It gives the child the opportunity to be raised in a stable, two parent home. There are many families who cannot have children of their own. Nowadays the birthparents choose the type of adoption plan, choose the adoptive parents and decide how much they want to be involved, if at all.

Whatever you choose, stick by her and help her through this time to maintain your own emotional health as well as your girlfriend’s health.



.
Source: College Area Pregnancy Services, San Diego, CA.