Men...if they invented a male birth control pill would you consider using it?

[cherish44]

We're talking about something that was effective, reversible and safe and you are someone who doesn't want kids right now. I was having a discussion with a male friend who said if they ever invent a reliable male contraceptive (that's not condoms)that unplanned pregnancies would be nonexistent because every guy in the world would use it. (I took some offense because his tone implied that unintended pregnancies are mostly the woman's fault) So if guys had the power to control their fertility with contraceptives the way women can, do you think there would be fewer "whoops" babies? And would you personally use it if it existed?

[Bonobo]

1. Hell yes.

Having sex with a condom is like umm, having sex with a condom.

If there was a pill, I would certainly take it. No question.

[RoyGBiv]

2. Without hesitation n/t

[tularetom]

3. No Mrs t and I are both 67 years old and I don't think there's much chance

of an unplanned pregnancy.

[cbc5g]

4. Birth control pills cause many women problems, especially when withdrawing

If a male pill were available with no side effects and completely reversible it would drop the number of unintended pregnancies by....A LOT. I know I would use it.

[stopbush]

5. There's already a method around to keep men from impregnating women.

It's called marriage. ;)

[CoffeeCat]

6. Men do have birth control...it's called self control!

made you look!

[ddeclue]

10. No seriously.. you said "men"... I think you're confused...

:rofl:

[regnaD kciN]

36. Yep, just like women don't need the right to an abortion...if they "save themselves for marriage!"

:eyes:

[regnaD kciN]

38. DUPE

[ZombieHorde]

7. I would wait until it was on the market for about 6 months to a year.

Just to see what happens.

[Juche]

8. We have male birth control

Low doses of anabolic steroids can shut down semen production while replacing natural hormone levels. Inject about 200mg of testosterone with a long half life ester like enanthate every week and you are good to go. Plus it is reversible, when you are done either wait or take something to restart your HPA axis like clomid or HCG.

Here we go:

http://www.steroidology.com/forum/anabolic-steroid-forum/82980-testosterone-enanthate-male-birth-control.html

'A few years ago, the Lancet Medical Journal of England reported that they found testosterone (the proto-type anabolic steroid) to be a remarkably effective form of male birth control. Researchers conducted a 12 month study which included 270 men and determined that weekly injections of the hormone testosterone were 'safe, stable, and effective.' They discovered that weekly testosterone injections had a success rate of 99.2% as a birth control method. That makes it more effective than the birth control pill (97%) and much more effective than condoms (88%). The study also revealed that the effects of the contraceptive injections were entirely reversible upon discontinuing administration of the drug and that the testosterone injections produced minimal side effects."


A multicentre study (ten centres) in seven countries was done to assess the contraceptive efficacy of hormonally-induced azoospermia in 271 healthy fertile men. Each subject received 200 mg testosterone enanthate weekly by intramuscular injection. 157 men (cumulative rate at 6 months 65%) became azoospermic in three consecutive semen samples. These men entered a 12-month efficacy phase during which continuing testosterone injections were the only form of contraception. There was 1 pregnancy during 1486 months of the efficacy phase (0.8 conceptions <95% confidence interval 0.02-4.5> per 100 person-years). Discontinuations from the study were mainly because azoospermia was not achieved within 6 months and because of dislike of the injection schedule.

Also, dipping your balls in hot water may work as a birth control method. It screws up your ability to make healthy semen.

Anyone else have questions about semen or self mutiliation? If so, I'm the guy to ask.

[TechBear_Seattle]

17. What's wrong with condoms?

Seriously, if a man does not want to have children, he should learn how to use condom properlys and then always use them. A man who leave birth control to the say-so of his female partner is playing a very risky game, as both of my younger brothers learned out to their great dismay. One deliberately lied about being on the pill, because she was a control freak and wanted to get him by any means possible. The other lied because she loved my brother and didn't want to say no, but was a Catholic and "Catholics don't use birth control." (Yeah, he's still trying to figure that one out.) Both have lovely daughters, though.

[Juche]

21. Whats wrong with female condoms or diaphragms

Condoms are fine and good, but people were asking about birth control. A woman can wear a female condom, but that doens't mean there is anything wrong with her using birth control instead. Same with men.

[ddeclue]

9. Depends on side effects...

there are always side effects...

if it ruined your interest in sex it might not be worth taking... if it made certain "parts" shrivel up probably not good either...if it caused your hair to fall out not so good...

If there were no meaningful side effects probably yes I'd take it - if you want a job done right you've got to do it yourself.

Doug D.
Orlando, FL

[Whalestoe]

11. Fuck yes. No question.

[TechBear_Seattle]

12. Seeing as I'm gayer than a tree full of chickadees, probably not

:toast:

[ddeclue]

13. A tree full of chickadees is gay?

I'm always learning new things here at the DU...

:)

[TechBear_Seattle]

19. Maybe "a tree full of springtime robins" is easier to imagine

It depends on what part of the country you're from, I guess. I've also seen the vivid "a tree full of bonobos on laughing gas."

[EmilyAnne]

23. I've heard parrots and pink parrots. While the image is hilarious, I still couldn't quite connect

it to being "gay."

[TechBear_Seattle]

28. You've never raised birds, have you

It is a pun on the older meaning of "gay," as in "bright, cheerful, festive." I have two budgies. Just two. When they are in a chatty mood, it is like a convention of either drag queens or troubadours has taken up residence in my living room and are now on the third or fourth round of cocktails. Titmice (genus Paridae; "chickadee" is a common alternate name) are even more vocal and have a huge, varied vocabulary. A whole tree full of them... five kinds of fabulous, each better than the other.

[EmilyAnne]

31. No, but you just reminded me that I saw a women walking around my local park with a tiny, mesh

cage.

Later, I passed her and the cage was unzipped and she had a bright green bird, maybe a parakeet, on her finger.
She was about half a mile from the park entrance, so she was definitely taking it for a walk.

My little 11 lb dog just stopped and cocked her head to the side like, "well, what the hell is that?"

It was so cute, but I never imagined that someone would take a bird for a walk.
Have you heard of such a thing?
Is it a form of socialization?

Your budgies sound adorable, by the way.

[Boojatta]

14. If they invented a male birth control pill...

and if they also invented a female birth control pill, then the pills would automatically reproduce, saving on the cost of making birth control pills.

[ddeclue]

16. DUZY Alert!

:rofl:

[donheld]

32. Only if you kept them in the same container

:D

[Common Sense Party]

15. No longer necessary. I got the ultimate male birth control.

Snip.

[ddeclue]

18. Ouch...not..nt

[Sherman A1]

47. Yup,

Fixes things once and for all.

[belpejic]

20. Without a doubt I'd use it

But I'd only go on it if I had a serious companion that I planned on settling with. Otherwise it has to be safe sex (i.e., condoms). Not for me, for her. I wouldn't ask or expect her to go on the pill unless we planned on being together; likewise for me.

[flvegan]

22. Yes, but I really should get a vasectomy.

I have no intention of having children. Ever. Not in this world.

[beam me up scottie]

24. They've already done that.

Male birth control pill soon a reality

Implants, patches and creams also on the way

For the first time, a safe, effective and reversible hormonal male contraceptive appears to be within reach. Several formulations are expected to become commercially available within the near future. Men may soon have the options of a daily pill to be taken orally, a patch or gel to be applied to the skin, an injection given every three months or an implant placed under the skin every 12 months, according to Seattle researchers.

***

Studies conducted by the World Health Organization show that men from many countries around the world would welcome MHCs. The WHO has tested MHCs in hundreds of volunteers in various countries around the world and have not found it difficult to recruit volunteers for their studies. Researchers say many men are very willing to become involved in the studies and are anxious to see a male birth control pill on the market.

A range of choices

Over the past 5 years, researchers around the world have had a great deal of success with male contraceptive pills, patches, implants and creams that deliver various amounts of hormones. It is now believed that an MHC in the form of a daily pill could be available on the market within 5 to 7 years and implants could arrive even sooner

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3543478/">Male birth control pill soon a reality

[rrneck]

25. It might be simpler

to ask what some men WON'T do to get laid.

[Warpy]

26. I think the only men who might use it are the ones in committed

relationships with a woman who gets horrible side effects from hormonal birth control to the point it's just not an option. It's not as irreversible as the snip and might be attractive to a lot of men whose significant others can't take the pill or use any of the hormonal alternatives.

It happens. I was one of them.

[Double T]

27. NOTHING more important than population control.

Absolutely. In every vending machine on every street corner.

[8 track mind]

29. in a new york second. n/t

[petronius]

30. Of course! I don't promise that I'd remember to take it every day,

my powers of forgetting things are awesome, but I'd try anyway...

[sandnsea]

33. There'd be many fewer "whoops" babies

Once it became the cultural norm for the man to prevent the pregnancy, no matter what kind of birth control was used.

[MrSlayer]

34. If I were single maybe.

I have no use for it at this point.

[Toucano]

35. No.

I prefer a non pharmaceutical option.

And your friend is completely wrong. Men the world over are far less reliable practitioners of birth control than women.

[TahitiNut]

37. Back in the day? Hell yes. Obsessively.

:shrug:

[regnaD kciN]

39. Well, I don't think I need one now...

...but, when I was single, I would probably have wanted to get them starting when I was 13 or so (many years before I actually needed them, BTW), "just in case" (a miracle happened). ;-)

[elocs]

40. Nope. I'm doing quite well with my vows of chastity, celibicay, and poverty.

So I guess I have contraception entirely within my control. Always have, actually.

[southerncrone]

41. Remember, this is DU. The men here are more intelligent & REAL.

The average Joe Merika would be too lazy, Neanderthal or undependable to take birth control on a regular basis. And they'd be the only ones reproducing, so........you know what kind of world that would result in in 20 yrs!

We are already seeing the results of lower birth rate among the more progressives, while freepers are reproducing like rabbits. It's a basic difference in our outlooks & belief systems.

Fundies are determined to repopulate the world for "Jesus' Army", while progressives are limiting the number of children they have to prevent excess burden on the planet.

I hope the Rapture happens soon! We gotta unload those over-producers fast! It's a beautiful plan! LOL

[wickerwoman]

50. Yeah, I think you're right

that the sample isn't representative.

I used to work with two mid-twenties guys 1.) would not sit down ever because he read that the heat generated from sitting down killed sperm... seriously, he would type standing up and 2.) would not drink Coke because he was convinced it killed sperm. When the topic came up, several men in the office agreed with 2 that Coke reduces your sperm count.

Neither of these guys had any intention of having kids in the near future but couldn't stand the idea of firing blanks. And to have two of them crazy enough about it to discuss the topic in front of female coworkers (out of an office with about fifteen men) makes me suspect that there would be a very serious virility issue going on with a lot of Joe six-pack types.

Maybe if this was rephrased as "would you take a pill that reduced your sperm count to zero as long as you took it" we would see a different result? :shrug:

[stevedeshazer]

42. The vasectomy is safe and more reliable.

It's really the way to go.

[vadawg]

43. nope would never use it, or any other birth control device.

[obiwan]

44. You bet. Or I'd get a vasectomy. A woman's got enough to deal with.

[4lbs]

45. Definitely, absolutely, without a doubt.

That's of course, if it is 99% effective, 99% reversible, 99% safe.

I said 99% because nothing medically when it comes to drugs is ever 100%.

[norepubsin08]

46. Absolutely

I am totally for contraception in fact instead of being pro choice..I am actually pro abortion!

[ccharles000]

48. no

because I'm gay

[NaturalHigh]

49. My "birth control" problem was taken care of several years ago...

via surgical procedure. Now when I was younger, I would have used it in a heartbeat.

[Digit]

51. Damn, Maury Povich might need to find another job! eom