Where Is The Male Birth Control??

I had a conversation with my (now ex) boyfriend about if he would go on birth control if there was one offered for males. Probably catering to my feelings, he said yes. I then mentioned a TikTok I saw earlier that day of an experimental male birth control, but it would have to be inserted in… you know where. I know TikTok isn’t a reliable source of information so I don’t know how true the video was, but nonetheless he freaked out and told me there is no way he would ever consider birth control if it meant going through that sort of procedure. Meanwhile, I had Nexplanon. A birth control that gave me the most traumatic procedure of my life.

There are many forms of birth control. The Planned Parenthood site lists the 18 options to choose from while including their effectiveness, cost, and duration. Birth control you would have to use every time you engage in a sexual act are the well known condoms, but they also offer internal condoms, the diaphragm, the sponge, spermicide & gel, and cervical cap. These forms of birth control are some of the least reliable, however, with their effectiveness dipping as low as 71%. Birth control used on a schedule like the pill, patch, vaginal ring, or shot have better rates of success, with their effectiveness only going down to 93%. As a woman looking for birth control under the narrative that it is my responsibility to prevent pregnancy, I felt I needed the best effectiveness rating possible. I began looking into the most effective implant options. The ones currently offered are the IUD and the Nexplanon Implant. My freshly 18 year old self was not interested in the process of getting an IUD, so Nexplanon peaked my interest.

Nexplanon is a birth control implant with a 99% effectiveness rate for up to 5 years. It is a small, flexible rod about the size of a matchstick that is implanted under the skin of your upper arm. It releases the hormone Etonogestrel, which prevents ovulation and thickens cervical mucus to reduce the likelihood of pregnancy. I was told this implant was easily inserted and removed by a healthcare provider. That was not the case for me. My doctor used a special applicator with a thick needle to pierce through my arm before injecting the Nexplanon implant. Though the insertion process was quick, it was so painful to the point that the mere thought of getting it removed led to panic attacks. The removal process was worse. It took double the amount of time for my doctor to cut away at my skin and fish the implant out my arm. After they bandaged me up and I walked to my car, I sat and cried. I hated how I had to go through something like that while men had no option to do the same.

I knew going on Nexplanon wouldn’t be a walk in the park. Just as the TikTok video described a not so fun experimental form of male birth control. I don’t blame my ex boyfriend for how he reacted, but I do not accept him completely shutting down the idea. While he did nothing, I went through a traumatic process for simply being a woman with functioning reproductive organs. There is hope though.

A recent study conducted at UC Davis, has shown promising results for a male hormonal birth control method. Unlike traditional contraceptives, this approach involves a gel that is applied to the skin daily. The gel works by suppressing sperm production while maintaining normal testosterone levels, ensuring that men do not experience any adverse effects such as decreased libido or muscle mass. Clinical trials have revealed that the gel is highly effective in preventing pregnancy, with a success rate that exceeds initial expectations. This breakthrough could revolutionize contraception, providing men with a reliable and convenient alternative to traditional methods. We need more development of male birth control to alleviate the burden of contraception primarily falling on women and to promote greater gender equality in reproductive health.