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

Gee, people on this website don't half take things too seriously. reported for trolling? WTF?

Are people not allowed to post 'thought experiments' and 'what ifs' anymore?

Mumsnet is too thick tonight to grasp the concept of a thought experiment.

*OK. Thought experiment.

If it was 100% safe, painless, and reversible.

Why not?*

Because who would decide if you were 'eligible to breed'? Imagine if this existed in USA right now. I'm sure President Trump would be issuing Exec orders left right and centre outlining a very strict criteria for the reversal approvals

Quite apart from anything else, is it even possible to perform a vasectomy when his balls haven't dropped?

The vast majority of boys are born with descended testicles. It's part of the 6 week check to make sure they have actually.

OK. My thoughts. We shouldn't fuck about with children's anatomy. At all

Condoning this would be on par with Condoning fgm and I'm not going to do that any time soon.

Because not one single mother or father in the world would agree to risking even the most minor and unnecessary surgery on their baby.

Unless you are saying it should be forced on parents and their children like FGM and circumcision?

Wow. Your lucky son... As it happens my son is circumcised. Not through out choice but due to medical necessity, and I have to say what a traumatic experience it was for him at the time and for some time after. I certainly would not wish a vasectomy on him.

If it could be managed (which I don't think it could at present) 'opting into fertility' would help a lot of people who aren't organised enough to cope with contraception or even the MA pill. For now, however, it's a SciFi fantasy.

serious answer.

I think even if it were possible, it wouldn't ethically be viable, because its not allowing bodily autonomy, and would be exactly the same to me as why i object to circumcision and baby ear piercing.

I think unless its something they absolutely need for health reasons, no child ought to have a 'vanity' operation/procedure without their consent.

I think if you started on the slope of 'opt in fertility' it would be too easy for the laws around allowing you to opt in to become too draconic and would slip into eugenics.

That is an excellent point OhIDo

Would we end up with a very small number of men deemed fit to breed?

The issue with an "opt in" thing, especially when it comes to the ops idea of having to "qualify" to have children is who decides? Who makes that decision that someone is suitable to be a parent and based on what?

I'm surprised by the response to this. I read it as a thought experiment. If it could be done with no risk of harm would it be better to opt in rather that out of fertility?

I can see the appeal.

Because who would decide if you were 'eligible to breed'?

Good point. I guess I imagine it being a similar process to being deemed eligible to terminate an unwanted pregnancy in many developed countries. Visits with doctors, counselling to ensure you're making the right decision etc etc.

Would that work?

I love a good metaphysical discussion, why not. Everyone shut it down because it can never be so... but yes opting in to fertility sounds like a good concept. I'd want to be part of that as a woman, I don't think boys should get that advantage, women should.

The problem with 'opting in' to fertility is that you will require outside help to do that. So essentially the state / people with power - and we all know in reality that that boils down to 'rich people' - will be able to decide if others can reproduce. Which is just too open to abuse.

Plus it carries with it the assumption that people aren't capable of making their own contraceptive / pregnancy choices which is just infantilising and wrong IMO.

"It" being the adult decision to reverse the vasectomy

So what do they have to do to earn the right to procreate?
There's a word for this - eugenics.
Heck I'm only posting for the deletion message!

No. It wouldn't work. You only have to look at trump to see how badly wrong something like that could go.

My sons should have been circumcised due to my religion, but thankfully because DH is a different religion I and he flatly refused to do it even though my mother went potty ..... to my mind, to tamper with such beautiful babies is barbaric and that is what you are suggesting also

What The ACTUAL Fuck?

Weirdo

opting in to fertility sounds like a good concept

Yeah... it's also known as stopping your chosen method of birth control

Well that's a bit fucked up

Plus it carries with it the assumption that people aren't capable of making their own contraceptive / pregnancy choices which is just infantilising and wrong IMO.

True. Yet when no contraceptive is 100% effective, would taking away the risk of unwanted pregnancy be empowering rather than infantilising, especially in the teen years?

I think it would be ok if the "opt in" to fertility was the same as contraception!

ie a pill you can get for free on NHS that works for as long as you take it, or surgery that gives fertility that lasts for life/menopause (but has the risks of surgery)