No birth control for men

[blas87]

Iradney's thread inspired me......when I realized that pretty much all there is for men as far as BC goes is condoms.

Sure, there are pills and whatnot that we hear about in the news that they are testing or thinking up....but are there any available to men? NO.

Sure, women are supposed to be more organized, and a male birth control pill may seem a little non-masculine and could be forgotten easier than for a female....but is it really THAT hard to come up with a pill that could kill sperm?

Come on now, we got pills that give women lighter periods, hell one or two pills actually give women only 4 a year, there is a shot that totally prevents ovulation and makes the uterine lining undesirable for a fetus.......how hard would it be to delevop a shot that would lower sperm count or render a guy temporarily sterile, the way the Depo Provera shot does for women, until they discontinue the shot?

Condoms break. Guys have it way too easy. Since when was birth control up to the women? Just because we have to have the babies? Bleh....fuck that. Sometimes I worry even though I am on the shot and I refuse to have sex without a condom.

Rawr.

[Greenday]

Good for you. Always should make the guy wear a condom if you don't want a kid. In all seriousness, it can't hurt and is just more protect, plus it's the best way to prevent STDs.

I WISH there was a male pill. That'd be awesome. Sign me up!

[blas87]

Yay! One willing candidate! Anymore out there? If we get enough, maybe they will hear our cries...

[Pedersen]

Well, the options for guys are pretty simplistic, as far as I know:


Condoms
Vasectomy
Chemical Castration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration)
Castration
Homosexuality


Now, if the guy doesn't want kids, his options are pretty limited. Two of them (varieties of castration) will remove the ability to have sex entirely. One of them would require a change in sexual orientation for any straight guys. So, none of them are good choices for a monogamous relationship where kids are not desired.

Condoms are uncomfortable. They do change the sensations. Personally, I hate using them for that reason. If I weren't already in a monogamous relationship, I'd use them, but I wouldn't like them.

That leaves vasectomies. Dammit, that hurt. I'm grateful for brain biology being what it is. In times of extreme pain/duress, the brain actually has a hard time forming long term memories. As such, I can't describe it anymore. I can only say that it hurt horribly while it was done, and then I was noticeably stiff for several days after.

If there were a pill of some sort that would act as a spermicide, I'd have jumped on that in a heartbeat.

[AFPheonix]

Call me anal, but I'm fine with having the burden of birth control on my shoulders, as I would be the one dealing with the pregnancy and all that it entailed. I'm a control freak that way :p

[Greenday]

Call me anal, but I'm fine with having the burden of birth control on my shoulders, as I would be the one dealing with the pregnancy and all that it entailed. I'm a control freak that way :p

Plus, you know whether or not you took your BC. We as guys have to take your word for it that not only do you take BC, but that you take it correctly.

Pederson, how badly did it hurt? And do you regret it? I want one quite badly. My mom would kill me though.

[Pedersen]

Pederson, how badly did it hurt? And do you regret it? I want one quite badly. My mom would kill me though.

I honestly can't answer that, because I can't remember it. I can only say that I remember it hurting, and wanting to beat the living crap out of all the guys who said it didn't.

I know that it hurt. I know that keeping myself still while the procedure was underway was difficult, and I know that my hips were sore for a few days because of how hard I had to struggle with my body's desire to flinch.

I know that I drove myself home, but drove on some bouncy road, so that was uncomfortable. I know that it took me about a week before I didn't notice it anymore at all.

But how much did it hurt? I just don't remember.

Do I regret it? No, not in the least. I've never been a big fan of children. I'm an uncle, and that's quite sufficient for me. It especially means that I get to turn them back over to the parents when they're too much of a pain.

Add in that my wife has rheumatoid arthritis, and the medication she has to take to control it cannot be taken while pregnant, so her carrying a child is not an option.

No, no regrets here. Maybe when I'm much older, and she's passed away, I will. But for now, not in the least little bit.

Oh, and as for Mom killing you: Why tell her? I still haven't told my mom, and have no intention of doing so.

[Zyanya]

Sadly, some 'feminists' (gad it's painful to call them that, cause they aren't) aka the 'only mothers count as people club', are actually campaigning against the male birth control pill, because it would eliminate 'opps' scenarios and thus take the right of choosing when a couple reproduces away from the woman.

[crazylegs]

If I had the option of a male pill I would be all over it, however I'm thinking with the hormones that make males, well male reducing testosterone wouldn't be all that great, adding extra female hormones to the mix probably wouldn't be all that great so I'd imagine it would have to be a chemical process unique to the production of sperm.

Any suggestions?

[Primer]

Good for you. Always should make the guy wear a condom if you don't want a kid. In all seriousness, it can't hurt and is just more protect, plus it's the best way to prevent STDs.

Short of abstinence, it's the only way.

That leaves vasectomies. Dammit, that hurt. I can only say that it hurt horribly while it was done, and then I was noticeably stiff for several days after.

Oh dear. That one is just too easy.

Back on topic, I'm sorry you were so uncomfortable, but good for you for making the choice.

[Pedersen]

Oh dear. That one is just too easy.

Doh! Can't believe I left that in there. What I should have said was that my hips were sore for days afterwards :)

[Rapscallion]

Guys have it way too easy.

Shorter life expectancy, don't have the chance to look really cute, can't wear a skirt without being stared at...

Oh, we don't have it so easy.

On a more serious note, two words: nasal hair.

Getting that stuff out? Don't even start to think it's fun.

Rapscallion

[DesignFox]

On a more serious note, two words: nasal hair.
Rapscallion

You forgot about ear hair. :eek: ;)

[Rapscallion]

You mean you can't breathe through your ears?

Rapscallion

[DesignFox]

You mean you can't breathe through your ears?

Rapscallion

:p some old men get ear hair...that's GOTTA hurt to remove!

I don't envy guys the prostate check, either. :eek:

I'll deal with BC. :D

[BlaqueKatt]

Well, the options for guys are pretty simplistic, as far as I know


this is only true in the US-Japan and china have a totally safe, reversible, temporary, successful form of "vasectomy". They inset a silicone plug into the Vas deferens to block sperm same as a vasectomy-and it can be removed when you want a child and reinserted after conception. Also sperm is only viable at a specific temperature-heating the scrotum with ultrasound waves-raises the temperature enough, that if done 4 times in a 30 day period leaves no viable sperm for up to 6 months-if the process is repeated during that time it can last up to a year. However the medical community here in the US claims that due to the number of options for women there is "no market or desire for male birth control."

[Slytovhand]

Doh! Can't believe I left that in there. What I should have said was that my hips were sore for days afterwards :)

Yeah... I was going to say.."Hey Pedersen... too much information..:p"


I'll be for a pill, although, I've been using the most effective BC for some years now... (ooops... TMI :p)

Slyt

[Wicked_Lexi]

I wish there were more options for Men. I am mildly allergic to Latex so I try not to use condoms as much as possible. I am on the Pill (for contraceptive reasons as well as other... girls will understand!) and sometimes I forget to take it and that leads to me either

A) Not being able to have sex at all
or
B) Using condoms and being uncomfortable for days on end.

I wish there was something my BF could take that would at least take the main pressure off me when it comes to birth control. Being completely responsible for our safely from spawn is nerve racking and kinda unfair really.

[Wicked_Lexi]

However the medical community here in the US claims that due to the number of options for women there is "no market or desire for male birth control."

Oh for heavens sake. Someone find these people and smack them!

[blas87]

It's very unfair and nerve wracking. And I'm sure their only defense is the stereotype that women are more responsible when it comes to pills and remembering to take them.

If they could come up with a shot for men like Depo for women, being as you only need that once every 12 weeks, I don't see how it'd be that hard to do.

[AFPheonix]

I wish there were more options for Men. I am mildly allergic to Latex so I try not to use condoms as much as possible. I am on the Pill (for contraceptive reasons as well as other... girls will understand!) and sometimes I forget to take it and that leads to me either

A) Not being able to have sex at all
or
B) Using condoms and being uncomfortable for days on end.

I wish there was something my BF could take that would at least take the main pressure off me when it comes to birth control. Being completely responsible for our safely from spawn is nerve racking and kinda unfair really.

Not to pry, but have you guys tried non-latex condoms?
Also, there's other BC options for you that don't require daily dosing: the shot, Implanon, and a variety of IUDs for example.
I've been on the patch and loving it for a few years now, and I've heard nothing but good things about Nuvaring, too.

[BlaqueKatt]

I've been on the patch and loving it for a few years now, and I've heard nothing but good things about Nuvaring, too.

other than the class action lawsuits (http://www.nuvaringsideeffects.com/) due to wrongful death-currently 3 so far for a 5 second google search

and the patch lawsuits (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8565177/)

they skew the studies by measuring in something called "woman years" Cullins(who is a paid adviser for Ortho McNeil-manufacturer of the patch) said she reviewed the deaths looking at “women years” rather than current users. Women years is a measure that takes into account that different people use a particular contraceptive for different periods of time. For example, if three women each used a patch for four months, that would count as one woman year rather than three current users. there are no long-term studies-just a large number for a short time)-so you get 12 women using a product for one month with no problem-that equals one year of no problems with the product for safety research purposes

"The mother of three died last fall, just after Thanksgiving, after days of agonizing headaches that the coroner’s report said were brought on by hormones released into her system by Ortho Evra, a birth control patch she had started using a few weeks earlier.(she was 25 and DID NOT SMOKE)
She was among about a dozen women, most in their late teens and early 20s, who died last year from blood clots believed to be related to the birth control patch. Dozens more survived strokes and other clot-related problems, according to federal drug safety reports.

the risk of dying or suffering a survivable blood clot while using the device was about three times higher than while using birth control pills.

The women who died were young and apparently at low risk for clots — women like Zakiya Kennedy, an 18-year-old Manhattan fashion student who collapsed and died in a New York subway station last April.

before the patch was approved, the FDA had already noticed nonfatal blood clots from the patch were three times that of the pill. In 2000, doctors at the FDA reviewing clinical trials of the wafer-thin, plastic patch warned that blood clots could be a problem if it was approved.----this is why I don't trust the FDA--the reports are only voluntary(if the affected person or their next of kin does not report to the FDA using their form it goes totally unrecorded) when one of THEIR OWN DOCTORS said "we need to keep track of this after it is approved as there are much higher risks"-and they approved it and ARE NOT FOLLOWING UP ON ANYTHING. How many people died from vioxx, phen-phen, Plavix---all regarded as safe?

As much as I dislike the pill and Depo, at least we have long-term proof that they're safer-not "add up the months and divide by 12 rather than follow number of people using the product" psuedo-safety research.

[anriana]

There are many more forms of BC for men in development, a quick google search found these:

Here's an article from 2006 saying the pill will be available in four or five years: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/OnCall/story?id=2683691

Here's an article from 2008 talking about the variey of forms of contraceptive (patch, pill, shot) that are being developed and saying it will probably be three years before the pills are on the market and five years before they're approved by the FDA: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3543478/

[Wicked_Lexi]

Not to pry, but have you guys tried non-latex condoms?
Also, there's other BC options for you that don't require daily dosing: the shot, Implanon, and a variety of IUDs for example.
I've been on the patch and loving it for a few years now, and I've heard nothing but good things about Nuvaring, too.

I have, They aren't as reliable and the texture is horrible!

I have considered the Nuva Ring, We don't have a patch over here and the daily shot reduces your fertility and my doc doesn't want me to have it...

So the pill it is... this thread reminded me to take it.. lol

[Rapscallion]

Would any of the ladies here truly trust their men to take a pill regularly?

I've heard this cited in many surveys about male birth control. The answer was generally a resounding, "Hell no!"

Rapscallion

[anriana]

Would any of the ladies here truly trust their men to take a pill regularly?

I've heard this cited in many surveys about male birth control. The answer was generally a resounding, "Hell no!"

Rapscallion

I don't trust myself to do that.

However, the birth control they're developing will also be available in injection and patch form, much like the hormones they use for the female version.

[Greenday]

Do I trust all women to correctly take the pill? Hell no. Women can be just as forgetful as men. And if taking the pill myself means I don't have to rely on the woman to remember, then give me the pill. I had to practically remind my girl friends in college to take their pill. That's how forgetful they were. I'm not taking chances if I can help it.

[Boozy]

Would any of the ladies here truly trust their men to take a pill regularly?

Do I trust all women to correctly take the pill? Hell no.

The fact remains that people need to take responsibility for their own reproductive choices.

My take on it is this: If I trust a man enough to stop using condoms, I trust him enough to take a pill everyday. Condoms protect from STDs. If I didn't trust my partner to be truthful about his past and remain faithful to me, we continued to use condoms.

A male BC pill would have been a godsend for my husband and I a few years ago, because I am unable to take hormonal BC. It's no longer an issue, but it would have been nice at the time. Hubby is a bit forgetful, but I remember everything; it would simply have been a matter of me reminding him to take the pill every day.

[tropicsgoddess]

Man, I would LOVE it if they came out with some male birth control. It would really make things easier if both sides had a way of preventing a pregnancy.

[Dreamstalker]

For years I've been all for male BC; among other reasons, it makes the man at least a little bit responsible for any negative happenings. Not sure if it would cut down on the number of guys who run out on pregnant partners due to not wanting to face up to things, but it would be a start.

Would any of the ladies here truly trust their men to take a pill regularly?
With the ex? Hell no (I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him for many things, but that's another ball of wax).

He used to remind me to take my pill when in fact I already had for that day (just cuz you didn't see me take it doesn't mean I didn't, I'm well aware of what can happen with missed doses). Granted, my primary reason for the pill is not the norm, so I have to be fairly vigilant in taking it.

[AFPheonix]

other than the class action lawsuits (http://www.nuvaringsideeffects.com/) due to wrongful death-currently 3 so far for a 5 second google search

and the patch lawsuits (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8565177/)



That first link stated that there were no class action lawsuits, at least currently :confused: I could probably find websites like that on many drugs that have been proven to be within acceptable margins of risk. Oh look, here's one for a fairly innocuous OTC med, Ibuprofen: http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/advil.html

Also, your 2nd link is 3 years old. Got anything more current than that? Estrogen therapy is linked to blood clots. We all take a risk with that when we use hormonal birth control. The woman year thing was to account for people who didn't use the patch for a long time. Her research still indicated that while clots still occurred, they didn't occur more often than expected. Also, this article, like most mainstream media articles on meds, was pretty short on data and high on drama.

[powerboy]

Yay! One willing candidate! Anymore out there? If we get enough, maybe they will hear our cries...


I am here. I would love to just take a pill. Tired of always using a condom

[Zyanya]

Here is the problem with the birth control pill for men -

http://www.glennsacks.com/do_women_really.htm

Woman #1: “My [husband, boyfriend, significant other] is selfish. He's on the pill and won’t get off. I’ve asked him to stop taking it but he always says he’s not ready. He just won’t grow up. I don’t know what to do.”

Woman #2: “That’s what the pill has given men—a right to be perpetual adolescents. It’s given them veto power over women who want to have children.”

It *gasp* prevents a certain type of woman from having a kid against her partner's wishes. They buy into the stereotype that part of 'growing up' is being a parent.

BULLSHIT.

[Seshat]

I'm totally in favour of both sexes having reliable, reversible, safe, affordable birth control.

I'm also in favour of both sexes having reliable, non-reversible, safe, affordable birth control available for those who wish it.

I believe that the only parents should be those who fervently desire the experience and responsibility of taking two gametes, and over the course of a couple of decades, helping the product of those games become a healthy, happy, productive human being. (Disability or other bad luck permitting.)

So I'm strongly in favour of contraception; for the sake of the unwanted children even more than for the sake of their unwilling parents.

And I'm strongly in favour of both sexes having that contraception because humans are strange and sometimes selfish creatures. Like it or not, there are women who will lie to a man about their fertility status, men who will lie to women, and people of both sexes who will poke holes in condoms.

Be responsible for your own contraception: and your own STD protection.

And US guys? Start a letter-writing campaign pleading for the various forms of reversible, safe male contraception that are in use overseas. US gals who believe like I do: help them.

(Please note: I do not believe in forcing contraception on anyone. I do, however, believe in it being available to everyone.)

(Note II: people who are physically adult but emotionally/mentally incapable of handling pregnancy/childbirth are a really tricky moral case, and I defer to their parents, guardians, and ethical advisor of choice.)

[Slytovhand]

Zyanya, your quotes disturb me... (well, ok... quotes from the site disturb me...).

That's in pretty much the same vein as what others on here have said, Seshat the most recent.

If a woman wants to have kids, then she's got to either find a partner who wants to have kids as well (and fully accepts and understands the responsibilities involved), or has to deal with having kids without having a dad around - before it happens (unless someone else is willing to step into that role).

But to force a person into parenthood... especially without their knowledge - that's crap!

I’ve asked him to stop taking it but he always says he’s not ready. He just won’t grow up. I don’t know what to do.” OMG!! Really? He knows where he's at, and you want to force him to be elsewhere... gasp!

Please excuse the sexist stereotyping, but this wraps it up nicely (for the above), and it's an old saying... Men marry women and want her to stay the same - but they change. Women marry men hoping they will change, but they don't. Not true for everyone (naturally - male or female), but certainly says exactly what those quotes are saying.


Although... in saying that (about the kids bit), yeah - it does mature some people out there. Settles them down, makes them take a bigger look at thier life, etc (not that I'd recommend it as a way to do it :p)


Slyt

[BlaqueKatt]

That first link stated that there were no class action lawsuits

Wasn't aware a website listing lawyers- titled "nuvaring Class Action lawsuits" didn't pertain to class action lawsuits-silly me :rolleyes:

The woman year thing was to account for people who didn't use the patch for a long time. Her research still indicated that while clots still occurred, they didn't occur more often than expected.


The person doing the research was being paid by the manufacturer-so of course she wouldn't see anything wrong-even though the FDA researchers did. And she Invented the "woman year" Vs current users(current users is what is used for EVERY OTHER study for the safety of medicine)---her method of "woman years" leaves people open to the possiblilty that something is NOT SAFE long term. If you only have short term data and manipulate the data to make it seem like longer you have faulty data.

Example-using "woman years" you have three women on something for 4 months-wow one year of safe use for one user. What if the dangerous side effects don't show up for six months or a year-you won't know until it's in widespread use.


google
nuvaring class action lawsuits
or
birth control patch lawsuits

you claim mine are bad find ones that prove they're safe that are not from people PAID BY THE MANUFACTURER.

[AFPheonix]

You weren't aware, or you didn't bother to click your own link to make sure it backed up your assertion?

I'm not disagreeing with you that the patch doesn't have a level of risk. I am simply making the case that if you want to make a case for your opinion, take the time to get decent, non-drama filled links. Here is what the FDA says about it. http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/orthoevra/default.htm
Personally, the risk is within reasonable bounds for me, so I continue to use it.

As for Nuvaring, I see no bulletins posted for it at this time. When I say "I hear nothing but good things", I'm referring to my pharmacy clientele who are using it and liking it. I will agree that this medication, like all medications, will have a degree of risk associated with it. So does Ibuprofen, as I pointed out earlier.

[Greenday]

I just want to point out, it's not the people doing research that put out misleading data, it's the advertisers. Scientists just find the results. They let other people do the interpretation. Data can be made to look like whatever the advertisers want. It's all a matter of how it's displayed.

[wanderingjoe72]

Wow Pedersen, sounds like you got a bad Doc. I had a vas about a year and a half ago and had no problem.

It was the outpatient type. Went in, got prepped, a little local and I was good. Thorough Doc too. Removed a section, cauterized both ends and put clips on them. I was able to walk out after too.

Then again everybody is different.

I am all for more b/c options for men. I know I would have gladly used them in my younger days. Condoms are not so fun (unless they light up and vibrate).

[Pedersen]

Wow Pedersen, sounds like you got a bad Doc. I had a vas about a year and a half ago and had no problem.

Actually, I had no problems afterwards. Drove myself home, even. Took it easy for a couple days, and that was it.

Just the actual procedure hurt way way more than expected. Even the attending nurse commented that I appeared to be experiencing more pain than most guys.

As far as I can tell, my pain threshold, at least in that circumstance, is non-existent. *shrug*

[Evandril]

I know mine was less annoying than some trips to the dentist ;) (vas) The 'keep it iced!' wasn't fun, but it sounds like they didn't use enough pain-killers or the like to me.

Personally, I'd have LOVED their to be a male version of birth control, other than surgery/condom...But the surgery was the main option, at the time.

The argument about not trusting the man to take it...Well, if it doesn't exist, you KNOW they didn't take it, so how are you worse off? If you don't trust 'em, take your own form *shrugs*