Alabama bill would require castration or vasectomy for rapists who impregnate women

An Alabama lawmaker is proposing legislation that would mandate a vasectomy or castration for any man convicted of raping a woman resulting in pregnancy. 

Rep. Juandalynn Givan has prefiled House Bill 50, which would also require the convicted father to cover the costs of the abortion and related expenses. 

“Every year, my male colleagues introduce bills about a woman’s right to choose and her body,” said Givan, a Democrat from Birmingham. “But I haven’t seen any legislation addressing what men should do with their bodies.”

Givan had previously introduced a similar bill last year, but it did not progress past committee. She recognizes that the bill could face the same fate in 2025, but she intends to resubmit it annually until there is a change.

Alabama is one of only ten states that require women to carry pregnancies resulting from rape, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Givan’s bill would expand exceptions to Alabama’s abortion ban, which currently permits abortions only to protect the mother’s life, by adding rape and incest as valid reasons.

The ACLU of Alabama previously opposed a bill that would provide exceptions for rape, arguing that such exceptions are not practical solutions. “They require survivors to plead their case to judges, lawyers, and hospital administrators, which is cruel and unfair,” the organization stated. “No one should need permission to access necessary care, nor should they have to disclose their reasons for seeking an abortion.”

Under HB50, if a woman obtains an abortion to protect her health, she could also petition the court to have the father pay for it. 

“I believe we need to hold men more accountable for their role in reproduction,” Givan told AL.com. 

The bill also aims to clarify existing language regarding abortion exceptions. Currently, abortions are permitted only if a pregnancy poses “serious health risks” to the mother, such as ectopic pregnancies or lethal fetal conditions. Givan’s proposal would allow abortions “to preserve the health” of the mother or unborn child.

“Doctors are terrified,” Givan added, explaining that they are hesitant to perform abortions even under current exceptions due to the ambiguous nature of the law.