Male birth control: A hard pill to swallow
Julia Eckhardt
Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: Opinion/Editorial
Birth control pills and other modern methods of contraception afford women a newfound freedom that many of our own mothers weren't able to enjoy, but this freedom goes hand in hand with greater accountability.
Women shouldn't have to shoulder this burden alone, however. Men also need to step in.
Unfortunately, they rarely do. If anything, women commonly complain of being unable to motivate their male partners just to wear condoms.
A woman's body has enough difficulties without the added ups and downs that invariably come with "the pill." The female repertoire of experiences includes monthly menstruation cycles, menopause, pregnancy, and in some cases, abortion.
Birth control is a product that could have been and should have been developed for men at the same time the progesterone pill was researched for women. Pills for women have been in development since the early 1900's, yet today there are sill only two viable options for men: condoms or a vasectomy.
Most men aren't particularly fond of either. Granted, it is decidedly more difficult to control the millions of new sperm produced in the male testes every day than it is to control the single egg that is produced each month from the ovary, but the predominant reason for lack of research in this arena has absolutely nothing to do with reproductive biology.
Just like with any other product, supply will naturally follow demand. True, millions of dollars are necessary to actualize any preliminary research, but without a backer that is willing to fund projects, this will simply never happen.
Therefore, the responsibility in this case falls upon everyday consumers: we need to speak up. Yet due to the unfair social mores surrounding birth control, this remains a greatly under-researched field.
This lack of demand for shared responsibility is disappointing. Times continue to change and more research is being done in the field of male contraception, but for many of us women, this is too little, too late.
Women shouldn't have to shoulder this burden alone, however. Men also need to step in.
Unfortunately, they rarely do. If anything, women commonly complain of being unable to motivate their male partners just to wear condoms.
A woman's body has enough difficulties without the added ups and downs that invariably come with "the pill." The female repertoire of experiences includes monthly menstruation cycles, menopause, pregnancy, and in some cases, abortion.
Birth control is a product that could have been and should have been developed for men at the same time the progesterone pill was researched for women. Pills for women have been in development since the early 1900's, yet today there are sill only two viable options for men: condoms or a vasectomy.
Most men aren't particularly fond of either. Granted, it is decidedly more difficult to control the millions of new sperm produced in the male testes every day than it is to control the single egg that is produced each month from the ovary, but the predominant reason for lack of research in this arena has absolutely nothing to do with reproductive biology.
Just like with any other product, supply will naturally follow demand. True, millions of dollars are necessary to actualize any preliminary research, but without a backer that is willing to fund projects, this will simply never happen.
Therefore, the responsibility in this case falls upon everyday consumers: we need to speak up. Yet due to the unfair social mores surrounding birth control, this remains a greatly under-researched field.
This lack of demand for shared responsibility is disappointing. Times continue to change and more research is being done in the field of male contraception, but for many of us women, this is too little, too late.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Tommy Kuzdas
posted 11/09/07 @ 9:10 PM PST
I for one would have loved for a male birth control pill to be available. It utterly astounds me why rich and powerfull men would not wish to have a male contraceptive available. (Continued…)
Tommy D. Kuzdas
posted 11/11/07 @ 12:05 PM PST
How about we go to the Gates foundation and ask them for a ten million dollar grant to develope said male contraceptives. The Gates have made this foundation to reduce misery around the world. (Continued…)
Birth control pills
posted 3/05/08 @ 2:17 AM PST
(mybirthcontrolstore.com) - Well, this could not be a bad idea to have male contraceptive either but how seriously men are going to take them like women? Women take pills with cautiously because they know that their negligence will cause them dearly but will men be so punctual and cautious too?
Crowford
Birth control pills
posted 3/05/08 @ 2:19 AM PST
(mybirthcontrolstore.com) - Well, this could not be a bad idea to have male contraceptive either but how seriously men are going to take them like women? Women take pills with cautiously because they know that their negligence will cause them dearly but will men be so punctual and cautious too?
Post a Comment