In 2015 there are still individuals having their rights wrongfully denied. It’s not happening in some far away developing country Americans only hear of on the news. It’s much closer than that — in our country, our states, our towns.

Despite all of the efforts and movements for equality there remains a group of people unable to decide if they want to be a parent. Try as they may they’re still forced to have children they never intended to conceive and didn’t want. If this parent doesn’t want the baby they get no say in whether or not it’s aborted.

How could this be? Abortion is legal and nobody can force a woman into terminating a pregnancy — they’ve been given the right to chose. However, somewhere in the process men lost the right to do the same. In the name of equality we have stripped one group of their rights and created an entirely new double standard. Men are encouraged to play a more active role in their childrens’ lives, but how can they when from the beginning they’re given no role in the initial decision making? A baby, or fetus, or clump of cells or whatever you prefer to call it, is made up of two sets of DNA, even if only one body is hosting it.

I’m not proposing men be given the right to force women into abortions, simply that they should be given the same opportunity to reject becoming a parent that is given to women. Allow them the same window of time placed on abortions to decide if they want the child. If they decide they don’t, but the mother does, allow them to sign away all rights and legal responsibilities for the child. If a woman can decide she doesn’t want to be a mother, or financially responsible to a child for the next 18 years men should be able to make the same choice.

Being pro-choice should apply to anyone involved in the parenting process. Women are no more entitled to these rights than men are and until we recognize this we’ll continue creating a gap — leaving the two parents to become and less and less equal. If we as a society are truly trying to do away with gender roles we need to make the effort in every aspect — not just the ones that benefit women.

There’s a way for this all to be avoided though. Part of becoming a responsible, educated adult is understanding the risks that come with sex. It’s become so casual that two people are more comfortable having intercourse than discussing the possible outcomes. Before having sex two people should talk about things such as what they’d do in the case of an unplanned pregnancy — and what measures they’re going to take to prevent it.

Even though these situations are avoidable I understand there will never stop being unplanned pregnancies, but take the time to talk through what you’d do in such a case before jumping into bed with someone. Actions have consequences and giving men the same rights women have in decision making during pregnancy would just be a safety net and another step towards actual gender equality.