male Contraceptives: reluctancy in their role and advancement

At age 18 I went on birth control. At that time, I wasn’t aware that going on the pill was expected of me as a woman. I simply thought that I was taking a proactive approach and not at all thinking about why this responsibility predominately lies on the shoulders of women. Although condoms exist as a method of contraception, they are not 100% reliable and many women who practice safe sex with condoms do not feel comfortable without being on another form of birth control. Developing birth control for men creates another avenue of options pertaining to contraception, leveling out the responsibility. As enticing as this sounds to me as a female currently on birth control, are the advancements in a male birth control option as significant to men? And what reservations might both men and women have about its use longterm?

Female birth control

The contraceptive pill was first developed in the United States in 1950. This innovation gave women freedom in terms of their fertility and essentially the right to reproductive autonomy. The pill’s role did not come without backlash and in fact it came “under attack” by a great number of feminists. Many believed that birth control was yet another example of patriarchal control along with the men who already dominated the healthcare industry. These women shed light on the idea that men were seemingly delegating the responsibility of safe sex to women and women only.

Today, many women benefit from different birth control options such as the pill, IUD’s and injections not only because they are a safe way to prevent pregnancy but also because they can reduce the discomfort that comes with having a menstrual cycle, along with other benefits. With this being said, there are negative aspects to being on birth control. I for one suffered from mood swings and they became frequent enough to the point that I needed to switch to a different method of birth control. Other side effects are headaches, nausea and weight gain. Discomfort is never fun but I would opt for discomfort over being unprotected any day. This sacrifice is something I am willing to make in order to practice safe sex but does it seem like this is only my responsibility?

The development of new methods

To me, the idea of male birth control sounds fascinating. In the next few years scientists believe that a male contraceptive pill will hit the market, targeting sperm. This pill, intended to be taken right before sex, is aimed at temporarily disabling the enzyme that triggers the sperm cells to swim. Their mobility would eventually return after a three hour mark, allowing men to make decisions about their fertility on a day to day basis. Although male contraception is currently in its trail stages, its potential role as a reliable form of birth control is up for debate.

Where the reluctancy lies

With taking any medication should come precaution. Before I went on the pill, I researched different types of birth control and the side effects I could potentially experience but for men, there are currently no temporary male birth control options aside from condoms on the market. They might have questions regarding their fertility after starting the pill and its overall reliability but since there is still a great deal of research that still needs to be conducted, these questions cannot be answered as of now. If this form of birth control does make it out of its trail stages some individuals could view it as a substitute for condoms but given that female birth control isn’t 100% effective, this would not be wise and should not be used in place of condoms. Some might also agree that because there are already so many female birth control options they would not opt for a male option as easily.

On the flip side, some individuals could view male birth control as taking “personal ownership” and responsibility. The current published studies of the science behind this pill could also help boost the recognition of sexual safety in general, making its shared responsibility between two people a topic of conversation.

navigating through discussions of birth control options

While many women view the advancements of male birth control as exciting, we have the current systemic barriers within the healthcare system to consider, especially pertaining to access to forms of contraception. Black women are especially underserved in terms of birth control access, often facing stigma pertaining to their health circumstances as well as discrimination. For indigenous women living on reservations, many go through the Indian Health Service for healthcare, yet this U.S. government health service has been known to be a long waiting game in terms of health service availability and even the approval of services. This is why it is crucial to understand that the experience of birth control had by some women is not the same experience of all women.

It was important for me bring up what I mentioned above because while we educate ourselves on potential new forms of birth control, we must also educate ourselves on the experiences and effects that birth control has on all women, those experiences being unique to an individual’s unique positionality. In respect to the research about potential male birth control options, I am curious to watch its progression as new trials are conducted. I hope that advancements are continued to made in the near future so that the birth control pool will shift out of its current binary system.