Special Note: Please note that this scenario is meant to be read as entertainment, not as an accurate prediction of the future. Also note that the viewpoints and opinions that may come across in this scenario are not necessarily the viewpoints and opinions of the author.
Male pregnancy is developed from bioengineering, perhaps in the 22nd century, to give males the ability to give birth - by cesarian section. However, this gift also gives men the "curse" of menstruation - for those who choose not to suppress it with anti-menstruation drugs. Religious fanatics will try to ban male pregnancy, but to no avail. This will allow women to follow their dreams up the corporate ladder of the future while men can become househusbands.
A controlled atmosphere for their unborn child will help then from developing birth defects like blindness, deafness and heart murmurs. A mother's uterus provides a chaotic atmosphere, just like anything else in nature.
Summary
- There are known freak cases where a slowly growing twin has matured in the male abdominal cavity. These were badly formed and not viable, but indicate that a fertilised ovum has the potential to grow inside a man.
- Male breast feeding is also likely and possible in this scenario.
In a world of increasingly interest towards natural birth, male pregnancy is a viable alternative to artificial wombs. However, people concerned about possible birth defects will prefer natural female birth first, artificial womb technology second and male pregnancy third.
Only househusbands (all unemployed marrried males) are eligible for the male pregnancy program. Working men will be turned away as the process of artificial menstruation and male pregnancy will irevocably alter the fabric of the work force. Used commonly outside of the United States of Earth, male pregnancy gains acceptance on Mars and Venus as a supplement to artificial wombs and traditional female pregnancy.
The first real successes will use what will then be already proven technology of fluid filled artificial wombs, only implanted in the abdominal cavity rather than incubated in a lab.