Male Birth Control Pill?

[DuckiesDarling]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/7495952/Male-version-of-the-pill-a-step-closer

Interesting, I can't help but wonder how this will change things if it's found to work and be safe. Would the instances of sexually transmitted diseases sky rocket as people rely on a pill to keep them from contributing to a pregnancy?

Guess we'll know in a few years.

[nitrog100]

I shan't be taking such a drug if it becomes reality.

[darkeyes]

I shan't be taking such a drug if it becomes reality.
That is of course your pregoragative.. there are other methods of birth control... if u put it about a bit with women.. use them... or do u in common with a large section of male humanity leave that sort of thing to the female and consider it her obligation alone? Not all drugs are suitable for all people... the pill like any form of chemical birth control has side effects and being on it too long without a break has dangers for women, Some women aren't prepared to risk it for good scientific reasons.. maybe these are your reasons... I hope so.

In the days when I had sex with men I ensured that I was as safe from pregnancy as possible... no protection.. no nookie apart from a very few times when I was very young and very foolish..and that kind of stress I can do without tyvm... it soon taught me to get meself sorted....so I took care of me precautions and it was right that I did so.. had a male pill been available and a guy told me as some did that they had had a vasectomy, I would believe them but being a cautious kind of girl 'bout that sort of thing I would still have me lil pill taken regular as clockwork... I would hope and trust guys would be equally cautious and responsible and realise that contraception isn't just something girls should take care of....

..as to whether std's would rocket, I think that depends on too many imponderables and we just cant say.. proper sex education in schools helps keep down both teen pregnancy and std's as is evidenced when comparing with areas and countries where it is less than good or non existent.. it might.. but it doesn't have to be that way.. so I don't know... education throughout society is the key and starting that education as young as possible essential...

[Jobelorocks]

I think that this is a good idea. It is about time that there was this option. Shouldn't just be the women worry about taking the medication to prevent pregnancy.

[nitrog100]

I'd rather just use a condom. Like you said, there are side effects to birth control, and I'm just not willing to risk that. Also, who says that it's a woman's obligation alone? You can make a guy wear a condom. It's not like he really has a choice in the matter. Condoms protect against disease and pregnancy. Coupled with the fact that you don't have to ingest it and worry about side effects, I'll just stick to those.

[Jobelorocks]

Some of us have to worry about being really fertile too and condom breakage. I use both the pill and condoms because women in my family are super fertile. I have had two cousins who got pregnant on chemical birth control (one with the nuva ring, one with the patch). My Mom stopped taking the pill and less than a month later she was pregnant for both of her children. It is nice to know that there is back up.

[IanBorthwick]

The ramifications of a Male Birth Control Pill is to, quite simply, take back control of our own rights as parents. The laws, as written today, favor mother's ownership while repudiating any castigation of women for not employing their own rights. It would stop a lot of the BS paternity suits, take the control out of the hands of those who complain it's "Too Hard" to make touch decisions or remember to pop a pill every day.

I, for one, cannot wait.

[darkeyes]

Maybe this will be more 2 your liking Ian.. u can be your kids biological mummy and daddy... :) may help soothe some of your anger...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/aug/17/sex-reproduction-aarathi-prasad

[Rhevan]

Even if it was available, for me, I'd still ask any guy I get involved with to use a condom, just makes more sense that way to lessen the likelihood of passing anything on, including sperm.

Rhevan

[darkeyes]

Even if it was available, for me, I'd still ask any guy I get involved with to use a condom, just makes more sense that way to lessen the likelihood of passing anything on, including sperm.

Rhevan
Had lil tiff with me brother last night over dinner... he thinks I don't trust guys and so I would insist on me own precautions cos I wouldn't believe a word they say bout being on the pill so wots the point of them being on it.. but it isnt a matter of trust sez I... it is a matter of responsibility and security by both parties.... me on pill.. man on pill.. my pill 99% success...man pill 99% success... a form of double security against unwanted pregnancy... if mine doesn't do its job.. then the likelihood is that the guy's will... and vice versa... and condoms for protection against std's if need be an added contraceptive precaution... not trust.. just good common sense...

...me sister in law, no raging feminist but a nice girl of whom I am extremely fond, made the following point.... she would like another babba, but big bro sez they have had ther lot... he wont budge. She may be no raging feminist but neither is she a shrinking violet... making the point that he doesn't wants (any more) babbas, why is it then that she and she alone is the one who is expected to make sure they don't happen? And she made it clear that on the day a male contraceptive pill is available on prescription from the NHS, he will be down quack's getting his and she will be having a break as is recommended from her having to take her little pill... no man pill... and he better get his head round the idea of another bout of disturbed nights and nappy changing... his comment about being fitted with an IUD or her using some other form of contraception which helps him avoid doing owt fell on stoney ground but her words must still be ringing ver loudly in the daft sod's lug'oles....his comments about her having her tubes tied and about no sharp instrument knife ever getting near to his bits endeared him not one jot to her, my partner, my best friend and her partner, nor to me... and his beloved niece, our daughter, was positively appalled that her favourite (only) uncle would be such a selfish arse of a dinosaur... me mum said very little... her look of absolute horror at the words of her favourite child told him he had gone too far...

[Coastocoast]

The largest impact this will make will be with couples in a committed relationship who do not want or are not ready for kids. My former was taking the pill while we were in a committed relationship, had dispensed with condoms and she got pregnant. Had we both been taking birth control it would have been very unlikely to have occurred. I have no regrets and love my kids but we would not have picked that moment due to finances. Oral contraceptives have a place but so do condoms.

[darkeyes]

The largest impact this will make will be with couples in a committed relationship who do not want or are not ready for kids. My former was taking the pill while we were in a committed relationship, had dispensed with condoms and she got pregnant. Had we both been taking birth control it would have been very unlikely to have occurred. I have no regrets and love my kids but we would not have picked that moment due to finances. Oral contraceptives have a place but so do condoms.You may be right, but I suspect that in the UK at least, and in countries where oral and some other forms of contraception are available at no charge on the national health service, and where, when allied to good quality sex education in schools, it will have greatest impact on the young and and has the potential to drastically reduce the number of teen pregnancies.. it may even, although much depends on a number of factors, reduce the number in areas where sex education is either poor, or non existent.

[BiBedBud]

I will not be taking any newfangled drugs of any description. Given the choice, I wouldn't take any drug that didn't have a 20-year track record of being safe and effective.

That's not to say that I don't believe in male contraception. On the contrary, I practice it with great diligence.

My 'front line' method is a condom, of course, for a variety of reasons, but also because they help me last longer. Being uncut, I am very sensitive; and judging by the harsh way a lot of cut guys handle their equipment, I am a lot more sensitive then them. So, rubbers are my friend, and always have been.

If I'm with a woman during her fertile days, I'll also use a wee bit of spermicide on the inside of my rubber (not the outside, that stuff tastes terrrrrible!).

But, that's not where my options are exhausted. It's too bad that the state of sexual education is soooo weak!

NEWSFLASH: There is an Amazonian tribe that practices a highly effective form of male contraception, and it is NON-DRUG, very TEMPORARY and HARMLESS too. The secret is simply to soak your balls in hot water!!!

That's right, a few minutes in hot water, and all your swimmers are dead! Of course, your balls will start to produce more sperm right away, and you could conceivably get someone pregnant just moments after soaking your balls in hot water, but the odds are greatly diminished, as you'll certainly have much fewer 'viable sperm'.

Before anyone asks "How hot?", I'll tell you that I use the hottest water I can stand without injuring myself. It's probably gross overkill, because even something like 'briefs instead of boxers' has been known to diminish sperm counts. But I say, better safe than sorry!

PS: The reason why this isn't widely practiced, is because it can't be sold, so therefore there is no money to do the research needed to give a solid guideline on this male contraceptive practice. But I say, so what? It's essentially free, has no side effects, and gives me peace of mind in a way that a novel drug never can.

[falcondfw]

I have trouble enough remembering to take my vitamins and insulin. Why would I add to the pressure? lol

[FinkDoodle]

Vasectomies are, for the most part, very much reversable. I got one over a decade ago specifically to be a responsible male, so my female friends would have one less issue to deal with. I highly recommend the procedure rather than relying on mythical medications.

[darkeyes]

NEWSFLASH: There is an Amazonian tribe that practices a highly effective form of male contraception, and it is NON-DRUG, very TEMPORARY and HARMLESS too. The secret is simply to soak your balls in hot water!!!

That's right, a few minutes in hot water, and all your swimmers are dead! Of course, your balls will start to produce more sperm right away, and you could conceivably get someone pregnant just moments after soaking your balls in hot water, but the odds are greatly diminished, as you'll certainly have much fewer 'viable sperm'.

Before anyone asks "How hot?", I'll tell you that I use the hottest water I can stand without injuring myself. It's probably gross overkill, because even something like 'briefs instead of boxers' has been known to diminish sperm counts. But I say, better safe than sorry!

PS: The reason why this isn't widely practiced, is because it can't be sold, so therefore there is no money to do the research needed to give a solid guideline on this male contraceptive practice. But I say, so what? It's essentially free, has no side effects, and gives me peace of mind in a way that a novel drug never can.
This gave me good giggle... dunno if its true but spose it does have some basis in fact since sperm have a very narrow range of temps in which it can survive...summat like 35-37C either either side of that it begins to die.. tho a colleague who teaches biology sez it has been claimed 2 survive teps of 39-40... not sure I believe a word of it but who knows... but the thought of luffly lady lyin in bed wile 'er man is in kitchen dippin 'is balls in2 pan of hot water on cooker doesn't haff make me giggle... or have campin' gas cooker in bedroom.. she can watch 'im boil 'is bits..

..even if it worked tho sperm is produced all the time by the fertile man... so by time he has nipped up to bedroom and finished is doin's, the likelihood of few live tadpoles swimmin around inside 'is lady I wud think wos moren' haff decent... but thanks for the laff me luffly... rite loada (hot) bollox...:tongue:

[falcondfw]

This gave me good giggle... dunno if its true but spose it does have some basis in fact since sperm have a very narrow range of temps in which it can survive...summat like 35-37C either either side of that it begins to die.. tho a colleague who teaches biology sez it has been claimed 2 survive teps of 39-40... not sure I believe a word of it but who knows... but the thought of luffly lady lyin in bed wile 'er man is in kitchen dippin 'is balls in2 pan of hot water on cooker doesn't haff make me giggle... or have campin' gas cooker in bedroom.. she can watch 'im boil 'is bits..

..even if it worked tho sperm is produced all the time by the fertile man... so by time he has nipped up to bedroom and finished is doin's, the likelihood of few live tadpoles swimmin around inside 'is lady I wud think wos moren' haff decent... but thanks for the laff me luffly... rite loada (hot) bollox...:tongue:

Such a hilarious visual goes with this post!!!!

[Jason0012]

I remember reading about one back in the 90s that sounded a lot better. Never heard anything about the trials though. It functioned by shutting down the system that keeps the immune system from recognising sperm. The body then attacked them as foriegn cells (they only have half the chromosomes and are therefore not human) They theororised that it would actually reduce a lot of STDs as well since the biological Switzerland that is the male reproductive system makes possible the lives of a lot of those nasty bugs. Never heard anything else about it though? The one mentioned in this thread seems to work differently. I thought the idea of a birth control pill that wasn't hormone based and wouldn't be as sensitive to a regimented schedule as the female varieties are sounded like a good idea.