Ohio bill plans to criminalize ejaculating without intent to conceive
What's the story
Lawmakers in Ohio and Mississippi have introduced a draft bill that aims to make it a crime to ejaculate without the intent to conceive.
The proposed legislation, called the "Conception Begins at Erection Act," could fine men up to $10,000 for the act.
The bill was written by Ohio State Representatives Anita Somani and Tristan Rader as a satirical response to hypocrisy in reproductive rights regulation.
Satirical response
'Conception begins at erection act': A satirical response
Somani stressed that conception is a joint effort, saying, "You don't get pregnant on your own."
"If this legislature is so dedicated to regulating women's bodies...then let's start policing men in the same way," Somani said.
The bill aims to provoke conversations around reproductive rights and the use of theological law.
This is especially relevant as 10 states have made it illegal for women to abort pregnancies, even in rape cases following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
Bill details
Proposed fines and exemptions under new bill
The proposed law would levy fines beginning at $1,008.49 for a first offense, rising to $10,084.93 by the third.
Exemptions include sperm donation for IVF, masturbation alone, and sex with birth control or within the LGBTQ+ community.
The bill hasn't been formally introduced.
But a memo by Rader and Somani says "the legislation seeks to ensure...men share responsibility in reproductive health, particularly in light of the numerous bills introduced across the country..that disproportionally target women's access to abortion and contraception."
Counter-legislation
Criticism and counter-legislation to the proposed bill
Ohio Republican Representative Austin Beigel slammed the bill as "a mockery of the most basic biological concepts."
Beigel has also introduced his own bill, the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act, which claims that human life begins at conception and seeks equal protection for embryos under state law.
This bill is unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled legislature, but it has sparked debate.
The state of Ohio legalized and protected the right to abortion in 2023.