April 15th 2023.
It's time to rethink the traditional narrative when it comes to contraception, as an increasing number of men are willing to share the responsibility. Thomas, 30, is one of these men. He is engaged to Anna, 30, and would happily take a male contraceptive to help split the burden of responsibility. He believes that this would not only give women more of a choice, but also help them be seen in a more understanding way. Thomas adds that it would make him feel great to help his fiancee, but admits that not all men would take it reliably.
Jack, 26, is another man who would opt for a male contraceptive, but has reservations about the severity of side effects. He believes it would mainly benefit couples, but acknowledges that men might be laxer about taking a contraceptive regularly. He also voices his concerns about any potentially debilitating side effects.
It's clear that men are starting to become more aware of the centuries-old imbalance surrounding contraception, and are increasingly willing to take on the responsibility. While over 150 million women are thought to be on the pill, the male equivalent is still in development. A drug that temporarily immobilises sperm has had positive results when tested on mice, however, it is still unknown if men would be willing to take the pill with its possible side effects.
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk) Thomas and Jack are two examples of men who are willing to take on the responsibility of a male contraceptive, showing that the traditional narrative is slowly changing.
It's no secret that when it comes to contraception, women are often expected to bear the brunt of the responsibility. Even dating back to 400 BC, Hippocrates wrote that ‘when a woman has intercourse, if she is not going to conceive, then it is her practice to expel the sperm produced by both partners whenever she wishes to do so’. But, since the 1960s, the revolutionary contraceptive pill has helped to empower women and grant them greater sexual liberation - and now, over 150 million women across the world are taking the combined pill or mini-pill.
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk) Thomas and Jack would be willing to take a ‘male pill’ to share the responsibility of contraception with their partners
While there have been attempts to develop a male alternative, a recent drug that temporarily immobilises sperm has had positive results when tested on mice. Moreover, a YouGov poll found that one in three sexually active men would consider taking a male contraceptive - indicating a real willingness to share the burden of responsibility. Thomas Ling, 30, is one such man. He has been in a monogamous relationship with his fiancee, Anna, 30, for seven and a half years, and is keen to help share the burden. ‘Absolutely I’d take it,’ he says. ‘Why not? It’s merely shouldering responsibility. You’d have to be a jerk not to do it.’
Jack Ashton, 26, would also try a contraceptive for men but voices more reservations. He worries about the side-effects, stating: ‘At the moment, we use condoms and my girlfriend has the implant. If I was on contraception that had really bad side-effects, I’d have to consider whether it’s the best option for me to keep taking it. We’d have to discuss the best path for both of us, as neither of us want children yet.’
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk) A large-scale study on a male hormonal contraceptive was shut down due to health concerns
It's worth noting that the female contraceptive pill was approved before there were widely adopted formal standards, and some experts believe that a hormonal contraception for men simply won’t progress to later stage trials or eventual funding. Dr Sabatino Ventura, a senior lecturer in Pharmacy at Monash University, explains: ‘Men simply cannot tolerate side effects. For a male contraceptive to have any widespread success, it needs to be non-hormonal’.
Dr Ventura also works alongside the Male Contraceptive Initiative - a US based company hoping to make a non-hormonal male contraceptive. His research into blocking a couple of proteins that controlled the movement of sperm showed that men would still be able to ejaculate, only his medication would send signals to the brain telling sperm not to be launched.
The idea of a male contraceptive has been a long time coming - but with the support of both men and women, it looks like it may soon become a reality.
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)
(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)
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