$10000 fine for men ejaculating without intent to conceive under new Ohio bill
The two lawmakers who proposed the bill "The Conception Begins at Erection Act" said the aim is to "call out the hypocrisy" of "bills that regulate women's bodies."
Representational image
India Today World Desk
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 14, 2025 09:56 IST
Edited By:
Priya Pareek
In Short
- Ohio bill proposes fines for men ejaculating without intent to conceive
- Bill aims to highlight hypocrisy in regulating women's bodies
- Exceptions include use of birth control and same-sex activities
Men ejaculating without the intent of conception could face a fine upto $10,000 under a newly proposed Ohio bill, the “Conception Begins at Erection” Act. According to the proposed bill, men would face a $1,000 first offense, $5,000 second time, and $10,000 subsequent offense fine for ejaculating without the intent of conceiving a baby.
The bill, proposed by State Representatives Anita Somani and Tristan Rader, proposes to make it a felony for a man to “discharge semen without the intent to fertilise” an egg.
The two lawmakers said the point of "The Conception Begins at Erection Act" is to "call out the hypocrisy" of "bills that regulate women’s bodies."
“You don’t get pregnant on your own,” said Somani. “If you’re going to penalise someone for an unwanted pregnancy, why not penalise the person who is also responsible for the pregnancy?”
This is the second such law to be brought up in Republican-led state house chambers. Last month, Mississippi state senator filed a bill called the "Contraception Begins at Erection Act" which would make it "unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilise an embryo."
However, there are some exceptions as well. For example, men in Ohio will not be fined if they are using birth control, donating sperm, masturbating, or having sex with another man or member of the LGBTQ+ community. This highlights that the bill targets cisgender men having sex with the opposite gender without protection and without the intention of creating a baby.
WHAT'S THE PURPOSE?
Those who proposed the bills in Ohio and Mississippi argued that while there are bills and buzz about what a woman should do or should not do, there are no laws holding men responsible for such cases as such. For example, abortion and contraceptive measures continue to dominate debates across the country but a lack of bills that exert control over the health and reproductive choices of men highlights "double standards", which Blackmon said, the bill aims to "point out."
"You have male-dominated legislatures in Mississippi and all over the country that pass laws that dictate what a woman can and cannot do with her body," Blackmon told Newsweek. "One of the reasons why this legislation is so important is that with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it has not only impacted women's ability to get abortion care but it has also affected women's ability to access basic gynecological care that includes contraceptive care."
In Ohio, Anita Somani and Tristan Rader said the intent is to stir up public debate over reproductive rights and the interpretation of Biblical law. In at least 21 US states, it is illegal for women to receive abortion care even in the case of a sexual assault.
Anita Somani, in a video posted to Bluesky, said, "Fair is fair, right? If this legislature is so dedicated to regulating women's bodies and their access to contraceptives and abortion care, then let's start policing men in the same way."
Tristan Rader said in a video, "This bill highlights the vast inequalities in how we talk about men's bodies versus how we talk about women's bodies. If you find this language to be absurd, then maybe you should find any bill attempting to restrict reproductive freedoms absurd as well."
The two State Representatives said that if women are being arrested, there should be bills to make men legally responsible for their role in conception as well. Notably, at least three women have been jailed after the US Supreme Court overturned the 50-year-old Roe vs. Wade precedent.
IS THE BILL CONCEIVABLE?
As for the bill, it doesn't seem conceivable but it has succeeded in starting a debate over equal reproductive rights and holding men equally responsible for unwanted pregnancies.
The draft bill was released in Ohio this week but has not been formally introduced to the House Floor yet. As Ohio has a Republican-controlled House, it is unlikely for the bill to go too far.
Published By:
Priya Pareek
Published On:
Feb 14, 2025
