Conference: Men & Abortion

A neglected topic. Information from the website:

This conference is the second ever to deal with the issue of men dealing with abortion. The first conference was held in San Francisco in November, 2007. That conference gathered 170 people from 9 countries and received very positive media attention.

The impact of an abortion experience on men is unrecognized by many. Men are hidden partners in every abortion decision. More than 40 million abortions have occurred in the U.S. alone since abortion was legalized here. Worldwide the estimates are that more than 43 million abortions occur in a year. In every abortion decision there is a male involved in some way. The man’s role or lack of role in the decision can create a stream of consequences that may accompany the man through the rest of his life. Because men are told they have no say in the abortion decision--that it is about a woman and her choice--they later struggle with the questions they pose to themselves and the emotions they feel. Men often say "I don't feel entitled to my grief. It was her choice. Why do I feel so badly?" More men are recognizing that abortion was a life changing event for them. The difficulty for the man who wants to process the experience, is that there are few resources available to him. Mental health professionals have not recognized that an abortion loss may be a significant event in the life of a man. Addiction counselors, grief facilitators and clergy may not recognize the unresolved grief of an abortion experience that may have occurred many years ago. We are not sensitized to the ways that a hidden loss may play itself out in the lives of those who experience it.

This conference is designed to bring to the forefront what is known about how pregnancy may impact the male partner, the various roles a male can play in an abortion decision, and the implications of reproductive technology as it pertains to fatherhood. The research findings on men and abortion will be presented. It will look at what happens when a male experiences trauma as well as provide information on how men process grief or try to hide from their grief. Men’s spiritual growth as it pertains to the process of healing will be examined and a model of forgiveness therapy will be discussed. Some current models for outreach to men will be presented.

Dates: September 8, 9,2008

Location: Chicago Marriott Oak Brook

Scholarships are available. Contact menandabortion@yahoo.com for more information or call 1-800-5WE-CARE (or visit the website).

I've met one of the speakers, Vicki Thorn of the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation & Healing, and was extremely expressed by her knowledge on this and related topics.

update: more information here.