To wonder if boys should be vasectomised at birth?

[Dutch1e]

If a vasectomy was painless, 100% reversible and could only be reversed when the boy had reached adulthood and had some counselling sessions to help him understand the implications of his decision, would it be a good idea to make vasectomies normal for baby boys?

Just musing on the threads about child services, child abuse and thinking about accidental pregnancies

Sorry for being slow in replying to the OP - I have a male relative who as a result of a medical conduction has to take a drug to switch on sperm production. As a result, he and his partners haven't had to take contraception, and could plan their pregnancies relatively easily.

PS, I do find it interesting that many struggle with the idea of thought experiment

No, I want my kids to give me as many grandchildren as soon as possible.

the state control was brought in a someone would have to set some sort of standard for the counselling. which was the reason that posters insisted that counselling was dropped from the original "thought experiment"

Fair enough. I was applying the same conditions that a woman needs to experience to access abortion in countries where it's (relatively) freely available.

In that case, it's more about checks and balances to ensure she is comfortable with her decision rather than state control.

"As for the sterilisation/contraception point, what is sterilisation if not an artificial method of preventing pregnancy." One is permanent, the other isn't. That's. It hard to understand, is it?

Oh, for goodness sake, Pasha- you really don't understand the thread at all, do you!

no sorry, two separate points I had in mind

Ah I get it now, misread your post.

BertrandRussell

In this thought experiment and in real life, vasectomies are reversible yet is considered to be sterilisation.

As a result, he and his partners haven't had to take contraception, and could plan their pregnancies relatively easily.

For those of us who have had to fight over-fertility every step of the way, this sounds like utopian sci-fi! I'm happy for this couple, that they've been able to.plan their family so well

BoneyBackJefferson in this thought experiment vasectomies are considered long-term contraception. Choose whatever long-term contraception you like though, the hypothetical method is all pain-free and reversible, leaving the question "would you suspend your child's fertility until they were an adult (aged 18+) and made a conscious decision to un-suspend it?"

I wrote a really shit novel based on this premise a few years ago.

Pacha11
No, I want my kids to give me as many grandchildren as soon as possible.

Pascha whilst I don't agree with the premise of the OP either I think hoping your children will have multiple pregnancies in their early to mid teens is pushing it a bit!

For those of us who have had to fight over-fertility every step of the way
Forgive the ignorance up how much do you have to battle "over-fertility" - surely you just use contraception

"BertrandRussell

In this thought experiment and in real life, vasectomies are reversible yet is considered to be sterilisation." Nobody in their right mind considers a vasectomy reversible. They almost invariably aren't. The OP specifically said that if the process was reversible...

Dutch1e

With respect, its a badly thought out premise that has been bastardised so much it hardly bares a resemblance to the original "thought experiment".

If this was Schrodinger's cat it would now be a goldfish in a plastic bowl.

Its been fun but I'm going to leave you to your baby kissing unicorn.

What I don't understand is why do it when they are babies? Why not wait until they hit puberty before the vaccination/vasectomy/magic unicorn?

Here, found the link. Not trying to publicise as its really rubbish so don't try and read it, but basically the question I was trying to answer was, if mandatory reversible vasectomies were routinely carried out at birth, how would that be used to control the population socially? But I can't write at all so it didn't really work out. The Draughtsmen

Dione I'm actually for a later age. Onset of puberty i guess. Also for an informed choice/decision if possible. But it should be possible,because everything else is .
And omg pls make it a magic unicorn 🦄😍😍

At the moment the state can't control fertility in this way. The vast majority of available contraceptives are either short acting or auto-reverse (the implant and injection stop working). The few that are permanent are set against this backdrop - that fertility is very much in the hands of the individual and all the state can do is try and make it as easy as possible for us to not have babies if we don't want.

I think generally the state desires less babies because that means less people to provide facilities for.

However in the thought experiment the power is in the hands of the state - the doctors signing off the reversal for example.

It's not the same as an abortion at all. For seeking an abortion the interests of the individual and the state state are broadly aligned - less babies being a good thing.

For seeking fertility the interests aren't aligned at all - this person sitting in the doctors office has in one conversation gone from being a potentially peak-production member of society with an equally peak fitness partner, to representing the huge drain on the state that is maternity medical care, neonatal care, potential child benefits, schooling etc etc etc. The temptation to control that would be huge.

What a weird thread are you a social worker op. Are you looking at how you can put in place a new law. What you're suggesting is abuse and I suggest you get therapy for the thoughts you have towards men and baby boys.

I wonder how long it will be before this thread is quoted as evidence that feminists are man haters. Actually, it's probably all over Reddit already.

Like the SCUM Manifesto and hedge witch's blog.

It's not something I think about and I work very hard to protect my children's innocence. What a thread to put together. I wouldn't call it feminism I would call it paranoia over their parenting skills.

I kind of understand your thinking. I often thought when I was younger how much easier it would be to opt in to having a baby than having to prevent it. However we don't have the medical expertise yet to guarantee it could always be reversed so won't happen.

Page 20 in The Mumsnet Big Thought Experiment and paranoia has crept in.