MERJ Newsletter 11/17/2025

Written By Justin Haas

The share of Gen Z men — those ages 18 to 29 — who said abortion would matter a great deal in shaping their vote increased by 12 points after those men saw videos from people who personally navigated the consequences of an abortion ban. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images) (source)

📚 MERJ Book Club!

If you’re interested in joining one of our future book discussions, email us at action@endthepatriarchy.org, and we’ll be happy to invite you!

Men and Abortion:

Lessons, Losses, and Love

Arthur B. Shostak

(Author)

,

Lynn Seng

(Author)

,

Gary McLouth

(Author)

Originally published October 15, 1984; notes below from Bookshop.org page.

Here is a pioneering and revealing study of the meaning of the abortion experience for American men.

The book draws on over 400 detailed surveys from men involved in an abortion, along with opinion data from secondary polls of American women.

“Shostak and colleagues have amassed a valuable set of quantitative and qualitative data blended with a richly sensitive, compassionate, and thought-provoking discussion...." -Contemporary Sociology

Other books we’ve read, and strongly recommend:

A letter from MERJ’s co-founder

Men, Bodily Autonomy, and the Reality of Later Abortion Care

Dear MERJ Community,

Reproductive justice and bodily autonomy affect all of us. When any person loses the right to make decisions about their own body, we all lose our human rights. Later abortions are not political abstractions—they are medical care, often sought by people facing tragic, life-changing circumstances such as:

  • fatal fetal diagnoses

  • threats to the pregnant person’s life or health

  • delayed access caused by medically unnecessary restrictions

  • complex family decisions that cannot be legislated

Men are parents, partners, caregivers, lawmakers, colleagues, and community members—and men’s role in the fight for bodily autonomy has never been more important. Birthing people deserve our empathy, respect, and support—not judgment, punishment, or criminalization.

At the heart of this work are real people and real families. Patient Forward’s co-founders, Erika Christensen and Garin Marschall, know this deeply. When they faced a devastating pregnancy complication in 2016, they were forced to navigate a late-pregnancy abortion ban in New York State that denied them the compassionate care they needed. Their experience wasn’t just personal—it was political. It revealed how term limits of any kind for those seeking abortion care effectively compound suffering and strip families of dignity.

Instead of turning inward, Erika and Garin turned outward. Their advocacy helped pass the New York Reproductive Health Care Act, restoring access to essential care later in pregnancy. From that effort, Patient Forward was born—a leader in education, storytelling, strategic envisioning and policy analysis that centers the voices of patients who need abortion care later in pregnancy.

Patient Forward works across states and at the national level to expand access, unpunish pregnancy, and win true bodily autonomy. Please consider joining us to support Patient Forward’s mission, and to make a donation to their first-ever fundraising effort, if you can. The link is below.

 In loving community,

Justin Haas and the MERJ Team

📖 10-Minute Power Read from The 19th:

“Actually, Gen Z men do care about abortion”

Small excerpt: “Gen Z men were more likely to change how abortion was likely to impact their vote after hearing from people affected by bans than older men, new polling found. The polling from the advocacy group Abortion in America, first shared first with The 19th, could suggest a new approach for abortion rights supporters and Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

‘What’s true for Gen Z men is true across the board: By enormous margins they don’t want to hear from politicians about abortion. They want to hear from people like them,’ said Lauren Collins Peterson, the CEO of Abortion in America.”

🔊🎧 Two Podcast Power Listens:

💸 Amazing Organization to Support:

Patient Forward

Patient Forward is the only national strategy and advocacy organization focused specifically on eliminating barriers for people seeking abortion care later in pregnancy.

Please consider making a donation to Patient Forward during their very first-ever fundraiser!

“Data analyzed by CNN shows mifepristone — the first drug in the medication abortion process — is even safer than some common, low-risk prescription drugs, including penicillin and Viagra. There were five deaths associated with mifepristone use for every 1 million people in the US who have used the drug since its approval in 2000, according to the US Food and Drug Administration as of 2023. That’s a death rate of 0.0005%.
”
— https://www.cnn.com/health/abortion-pill-safety-dg

Help and Resources to Share with Anyone Needing an Abortion: (from ifwhenhow.org)

  • Find a local clinic by using the National Abortion Federation map.

  • If you have questions about your legal rights and self-managed abortion, the Repro Legal Helpline is a free, confidential source for legal advice and information. Visit ReproLegalHelpline.org or call 844-868-2812. 

  • If you are under 18 and need information about your rights to an abortion, you can message or call our Repro Legal Helpline at 844-868-2812. You can also read more about your rights on our Judicial Bypass Wiki.

  • If you have been arrested, contacted by the police, or fear you may be arrested for a self-managed abortion, our Repro Legal Helpline can provide immediate legal advice and support, and our Repro Legal Defense Fund can help with bail and legal fees. You can call our Repro Legal Helpline at 844-868-2812, and for help with bail and other fees, visit ReproLegalDefenseFund.org.

  • Medically-reviewed, step-by-step directions for how to self-administer a medication abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol can be found on the Hey Jane website.

Justin Haas
Next

MERJ Newsletter 10/30/2025