Since the very first creation of birth control, the burden has been placed on women’s bodies to facilitate hormone-filled and painful methods of contraception since the 1960s.
The pill, just one form of birth control method, is taken by 200 million women in the world, and prescribed to 3.5 million women in the UK. The contraceptive pill has been universally known to cause many unpleasant side-effects, such as nausea, migraines, decreased libido and a decline in mental health.
The pill, just one form of birth control method, is taken by 200 million women in the world, and prescribed to 3.5 million women in the UK. The contraceptive pill has been universally known to cause many unpleasant side-effects, such as nausea, migraines, decreased libido and a decline in mental health.
Alternatively, if women don’t want the negative hormonal side effects, they can undergo an invasive hormone-filled ring being inserted into their vagina, or undergo a painful IUD insertion into the womb. If all else fails, they can awkwardly go into an uncomfortable small white room and explain to a pharmacist that they need Plan B after failing to provide contraception.
All of these are acceptable and effective options, but the option we do not talk about is the male birth control. I’m not talking about condoms, which are less likely to be used due to being described as “not feeling as good” or “too costly”, but capsules and shots to enable the immediate infertility of a man for a long-term period of time. The problem, however, is that this that this demand is being ignored.
Why is this such a problem? No woman can get pregnant alone, so why should she alone, be burdened with the responsibility?
The process of obtaining contraception has been seen wrongly as a largely female issue for years. Besides from condoms and invasive vasectomy, there is no semi-permanent, reliable contraception for men which they can obtain from a sexual health or family planning clinic. The side-effects are therefore placed on women to deal with and are not widely understood by doctors and researchers. Therefore, this creates a dangerous and potentially life-altering load on the shoulders of millions of women. Many women who take the hormonal methods of contraception describe their experiences as “not feeling like themselves” after being on it for a long period of time. Therefore, many take breaks from their current methods to regulate themselves. This is a problem that men simply cannot fathom because of the lack of demand and research into a long-term male birth control. Men’s little involvement in providing contraception is not fair and should no longer be accepted. However, this ignorance is no fault of their own, but merely a result of lack of social demand for it. Many men are willing to participate in obtaining contraception, but at the moment this option seems more like a pipe dream.
The process of obtaining contraception has been seen wrongly as a largely female issue for years. Besides from condoms and invasive vasectomy, there is no semi-permanent, reliable contraception for men which they can obtain from a sexual health or family planning clinic. The side-effects are therefore placed on women to deal with and are not widely understood by doctors and researchers. Therefore, this creates a dangerous and potentially life-altering load on the shoulders of millions of women. Many women who take the hormonal methods of contraception describe their experiences as “not feeling like themselves” after being on it for a long period of time. Therefore, many take breaks from their current methods to regulate themselves. This is a problem that men simply cannot fathom because of the lack of demand and research into a long-term male birth control. Men’s little involvement in providing contraception is not fair and should no longer be accepted. However, this ignorance is no fault of their own, but merely a result of lack of social demand for it. Many men are willing to participate in obtaining contraception, but at the moment this option seems more like a pipe dream.
With politicians only recently decriminalising abortion in Northern-Ireland, the issue of birth control is ever present and cannot be swept under the rug any longer. The results of an unwanted pregnancy can cause a risk to a woman’s body, future, education and social lives. These risks are becoming more acknowledged due to the positive rise of social media.
So, if abortion is becoming so much less stigmatised to talk about, why shouldn’t contraception? Furthermore, it would be ignorant to bypass the contraception needs in other countries. In countries, such as the United States that aren’t lucky enough to receive longer-term contraception on the NHS have to pay for their contraception methods themselves or through insurance. Therefore, we can assume that the cost of this is weighted onto women. If they are unable to pay this, they are forced to either pay thousands for an abortion or potentially millions in raising a child.
So, if abortion is becoming so much less stigmatised to talk about, why shouldn’t contraception? Furthermore, it would be ignorant to bypass the contraception needs in other countries. In countries, such as the United States that aren’t lucky enough to receive longer-term contraception on the NHS have to pay for their contraception methods themselves or through insurance. Therefore, we can assume that the cost of this is weighted onto women. If they are unable to pay this, they are forced to either pay thousands for an abortion or potentially millions in raising a child.
So, what are the possible options?
Hopes for a male contraceptive pill have increased after a trial showed a once-daily capsule appeared to work with no significant side-effects. The drug works by suppressing levels of hormones that drive the production of sperm and testosterone in the testes. This would render them temporarily infertile until the effects wear off. Another option is a male contraceptive injection, developed by research team in India. It contains a chemical which inhibits sperm production, rendering the man infertile for thirteen years. This had a 97.3% success rate amongst participants in the medical trial.
Hopes for a male contraceptive pill have increased after a trial showed a once-daily capsule appeared to work with no significant side-effects. The drug works by suppressing levels of hormones that drive the production of sperm and testosterone in the testes. This would render them temporarily infertile until the effects wear off. Another option is a male contraceptive injection, developed by research team in India. It contains a chemical which inhibits sperm production, rendering the man infertile for thirteen years. This had a 97.3% success rate amongst participants in the medical trial.
However, this presents some problems such as the lengthy time the injection causes sterilisation and the mild side effects such as acne and mood changes. However, the effects are reversible at any given time and the side effects are no more severe than what women are forced to go through when having IUD insertions or going on the pill. Although, it can be argued that long-term contraceptive methods do not prevent STI’s, the same could be said about the pill and coil and therefore should be aimed more towards men in long-term relationships.
What is a potential obstacle when integrating long-term male contraception into society?
One study conducted research into the attitudes of males and birth control stating;
“There was a statistically significant relationship found between two variables indicating that men who tend to assign contraceptive responsibility to women have more negative attitudes toward male contraceptive use[1]”.
Therefore, it can be said that these negative male attitudes could be discouraging the demand for its development. However, this is a poor excuse as society has never been more liberal and open when talking about and acting upon sexual health. Male contraception has simply not been given the opportunity to become normalised. So, of course it will appear alien and unappealing to a small group of participants in a medical trial and is therefore, not representative to males as a whole.
One study conducted research into the attitudes of males and birth control stating;
“There was a statistically significant relationship found between two variables indicating that men who tend to assign contraceptive responsibility to women have more negative attitudes toward male contraceptive use[1]”.
Therefore, it can be said that these negative male attitudes could be discouraging the demand for its development. However, this is a poor excuse as society has never been more liberal and open when talking about and acting upon sexual health. Male contraception has simply not been given the opportunity to become normalised. So, of course it will appear alien and unappealing to a small group of participants in a medical trial and is therefore, not representative to males as a whole.
In conclusion, we need to expand contraceptive options because placing the responsibility on women is outdated and should no longer be the one of the only options. This lack of choice is costly for both genders, due to the monetary cost of condoms and emotional cost of hormonal contraceptive methods for women.
Although studies have shown a negative attitude towards male contraception, the overall idea that men wouldn’t be trusted to take an oral contraceptive pill is sexist and ignorant. There is always risk when it comes to contraception, so, let's therefore share the responsibility and make sexual relationships easier by halving the problem.
- Josie
- Josie
[1] Sanford A. Weinstein. (2010), The Journal of Sex Research, Tandfonline, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224497909551044, [Accessed 20th December 2019].