Husbands' involvement in abortion in Vietnam

This study analyzes the involvement of men in abortion in Vietnam, where in duced abortion is legal and abortion rates are among the highest in the wor ld. Twenty men were interviewed in 1996 about the role they played in their wives' abortions and about their feelings and ethical views concerning the procedure. The results showed that both husbands and wives considered the husband to be the main decisionmaker regarding family size, which included the decision to have an abortion, but that, in fact, some women had undergo ne an abortion without consulting their husbands in advance. Parents and in -laws were usually not consulted; the couples thought they might object to the decision on moral grounds. Respondents' ethical perspectives on abortio n are discussed, When. faced with an unwanted pregnancy, the husbands adopt ed an ethics of care and responsibility toward family and children, althoug h some felt that abortion was immoral. The study highlights the importance of understanding husbands' perspectives on their responsibilities and right s in reproductive decisionmaking and their ethical and of her concerns rela ted to abortion.