Ohio State Representatives Anita Somani and Tristan Rader are doing their part to combat abortion in the state. The Democratic Representatives have recently proposed a bill called “The Conception Begins at Erection Act.” The bill would impose a $1,000 fine for a first offense for men who “discharge semen or genetic material without intent to fertilize an embryo”, $5,000 for a second offense, and $10,000 for subsequent offenses.
The bill is specifically aimed at straight men who have sex without protection and without intent to have a baby, and includes exemptions for men using birth control, donating sperm, or having sex with someone who does not “produce ova”. Representative Somani, who is also an OBGYN told News 5 Cleveland, “You don’t get pregnant on your own.
If you’re going to penalize someone for an unwanted pregnancy, why not penalize the person who is also responsible for the pregnancy? Just like abortion bills have penalized physicians or created felonies for physicians and patients, the intent of the bill is to show that we should not be policing anybody’s reproductive right.” Ohio voters voted on abortion, contraception, and fertility treatment rights in 2023 with a referendum known as “Issue 1” which passed with 57% of the vote in favor.
