A heated discussion around the question ‘can men get pregnant’ arose during a Senate debate on abortion medication.
A hearing was held by the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on January 14 to scrutinize the safety of abortion pills, amid ongoing Republican efforts to limit abortion access across the country.
Missouri Senator Josh Hawley participated in the hearing, spending his time repeatedly asking medical experts if men can get pregnant—reportedly posing the question over ten times.
Key witnesses included Dr. Nisha Verma, a dual-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who provides reproductive healthcare in several states. Dr. Verma has previously testified before Congress on abortion restrictions and is actively researching the impact of Georgia’s six-week abortion ban on high-risk pregnancies, as reported by the Times of India.
It was Florida Senator Ashley Moody who initially posed the question to Dr. Verma about whether men can become pregnant.
Dr. Verma paused before replying, stating her experience with patients of diverse gender identities. She did not provide a straightforward yes or no. However, other witnesses responded with a ‘no.’
Senator Bill Cassidy, chair of the committee, later asserted that men cannot have babies.
Later, Senator Hawley took his turn and persisted with the same inquiry.
He addressed Dr. Verma, stating: “I wasn’t sure I understood your answer to Senator Moody a moment ago. Do you think that men can get pregnant?”
Dr. Verma explained her hesitation, mentioning her uncertainty about the ‘goal’ of the question and reiterated her care for patients with various identities.
Hawley pressed on: “Well, the goal is the truth, so can men get pregnant?”
Dr. Verma reiterated her uncertainty about the question’s intent, “the reason I pause there is I’m not really sure what the goal of the question is-”
Hawley interrupted with: “The goal is just to establish a biological reality.”
The exchange extended for several minutes, with Hawley repeatedly interrupting Dr. Verma with the same question.
At one point, Hawley claimed he was ‘trying to test, frankly,’ Dr. Verma’s ‘veracity as a medical professional and as a scientist.’
Sen. Josh @HawleyMO: "Can men get pregnant?"
Dr. Nisha Verma: "I'm not really sure what the goal of the question is."
Hawley: "The goal is just to establish a biological reality…Can men get pregnant?" pic.twitter.com/4egtfZrPgB
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 14, 2026
“I thought we were past all of this, frankly,” he remarked.
The question ‘can men get pregnant?’ became the focal point of the hearing, rapidly gaining traction on social media.
The session was initially aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of the abortion pill mifepristone.
Mifepristone is a medication often used with misoprostol to terminate an early pregnancy or treat a miscarriage.
The FDA approved a generic version in 2019, which expanded its availability, according to ABC News.
During the two-hour session, Republican lawmakers concentrated on limiting telehealth abortions, which involve prescribing medication remotely and mailing it to patients instead of in-person dispensing.
Republicans contended the drug poses risks that necessitate face-to-face medical examinations, while Democrats accused them of leveraging health concerns to control women’s reproductive autonomy rather than focusing on health and safety.