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From: randy@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: To be a father unwittingly
Message-ID: <6375@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Apr-84 11:30:44 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.6375
Posted: Tue Apr  3 11:30:44 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Apr-84 00:38:16 EST
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 30

I heard a true story several years ago and then later met the woman
in question.  I've thought about it many times since then and would
like to air it out now for your comments.

(I'll call her "S".)  S, a woman of around 30 or so, decided while she
wasn't ready to get married (either not willing to make the commitment,
or hadn't found the right person, or whatever), she did want a child.
The problem of course was procuring a father.  Living in Chicago at
the time, S looked around and found a satisfactory man.  (That is,
he satisfied whatever criteria; personality, intelligence, appearance,
etc., that she required for the father of her child.)  After checking
her timing carefully, and arranging a one-night stand, S became pregnant
by the man, but unbeknownst to him.  She then left town for New England
to raise the child in a group house (which, incidentally, contained
several men).  When asked later why she didn't tell the man her plans
either before, during or after, she replied that he hadn't inquired about
whether she was using birth control and therefore she felt under no
obligation to enlighten him.

Does this get back to that "implicit contract" business recently discussed
in net.women?  It seems like a tricky situation to me.  For example, how
important is it that this man is today walking around unknowingly the
father of a (rather cute) baby girl?  Do you think this man was
taken advantage of or did he simply waive his "rights" when he agreed
to the one-night stand w/o ensuring protection.

-- 
Randy Trigg
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