Ohio State Representatives Introduce Bill Proposing Stiff Penalties for Men Ejaculating Without Intent to Fertilize an Ovum
A bill proposed by State Representatives Anita Somani and Tristan Rader seeks to make it a felony for any male to ejaculate without the intent to fertilize an ovum.
The bill, named “The Conception Begins at Erection Act,” seeks to highlight the hypocrisy of different bills that regulate women’s bodies. The bill by Somani and Rader seeks to fine men $1,000 for the first offense, increasing it to $5,000 for a second offense and $10,000 for further offenses.
Anita Somani stated that a woman does not get pregnant on her own, and if she is penalized for unwanted pregnancy, the other participant in the act, who is equally responsible for the pregnancy, must also be penalized.
Ohio is the second state to introduce the “Conception Begins at Erection Act,” which makes it illegal for men to have sex without the intent to conceive a baby.
Rep. Anita Somani introduced the bill, making it a felony to “discharge semen without the intent to fertilize.”
• $1,000 for the first offense
• $5,000 for the second offense
• $10,000 for further offenses
Ohio is 2nd state to introduce "Conception Begins at Erection Act" — makes it illegal for men to have sex without intent to make baby.
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) February 9, 2025
Rep. Anita Somani introduced bill making it felony to "discharge semen without the intent to fertilize."
•$1,000 first offense
•$5,000 second… pic.twitter.com/Nzcw8eOn2q
This is the second instance in which a law of this nature has been proposed in a Republican-led state house chamber. In the previous month, a Mississippi state senator also introduced a similar bill called the “Contraception Begins at Erection Act.” That bill sought to make it illegal for any person to ejaculate or disperse genetic material without the intent of fertilizing an ovum.
However, the bill has made some exceptions, stating that it will not be applicable to men who are using contraceptives and employing birth control, masturbation, or sex among the LGBTQ+ community. The bill specifically targets unprotected sex with the opposite gender with no intention of creating a baby.
The bill has sparked a huge debate regarding laws that regulate what a woman should or should not do while no such laws hold men accountable for their actions.
Blackmon told Newsweek:
“You have male-dominated legislatures in Mississippi and all over the country that pass laws dictating what a woman can and cannot do with her body. One of the reasons why this legislation is so important is that, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it has not only impacted women’s ability to get abortion care but has also affected their access to basic gynecological care, including contraceptive care.”
The bill has indeed ignited a debate on reproductive rights and the interpretation of Biblical law. There are 21 U.S. states that prohibit women from receiving abortion care, even in cases of sexual assault. This was one aspect highlighted by Anita Somani in a video posted to Bluesky.
Anita stated,
“If the legislature is so hell-bent on regulating women’s bodies and their access to contraceptives and abortion care, it is time for men to be policed in the same way and to the same degree.”
