To think that men should have more options to contraception alternatives

[pand0raslunchb0x]

Following on from the "Secret Versectomy" discussion - I wonder what are the options of contraceptives for men?
Why is it left up to the woman in a partnership to carry the burden of contraception?
Are there any men on here that can vouch for alternatives to condoms and the risky 'pull out method', which both can work against the intimacy of a relationship?
Would any men on here or men that you know consider taking a pill if there was one availble for prescription?

I personally react badly with any form of hormonal pill, implant, injection so im left with the coil as an option. I chose to have that, but obviously that isnt a permanent solution and it can be removed at any time within 5 years.

I think the issue of the lack of contracptives for MEN is abysmal and is a massive issue - why is more research not being done so that men have more choices too.

I'd be very interested to hear your views.

Apologies for any typos and spelling errors ie; vasectomy, i'm typing on my phone in a small window :)

I'd be happy if a pill for men was available, I've had almost 20 years of taking the pill except for when TTC and in pregnancy. We only have one child and are happy with that just now but things could change in the future so if there was a reliable but easily reversible contraceptive for men it would be great.

Unfortunate consequence of biology, sadly. I'd love a contraceptive that didn't guarantee an unpleasurable sexual encounter. There's a new reversible injection for men that's being researched, which may offer some hope, but the biochemistry is apparently intractable and the more mechanical approaches tend not to be reversible.

I think women will always be more vigilant about contraception for obvious reasons. I'm yet to meet a man who says he wishes there was a male pill.

How would you know that a male pill/injection is working and continues to work?

Women care more about using effective contraception because they are the ones who will be left carrying the baby.

In a relationship, it would be nice for a couple to have more options which involve men controlling their fertility. Outside a long term relationship, I'm not sure I would trust a man who told me that he was using contraception so it would always be just an extra layer of protection. Although it would give him the option to avoid unwanted parenthood without relying on a women - which would probably suit some men.

It is bizarre that men complain women 'trap' them by falling pregnant etc when theyre on the pill but take no precautions themelves - "it takes two to tango" doesn't it? LOL

I do wonder about whether research is carried out properly and actually I've just learned something new from an article in the telegraph and it sounds pretty positive :)

The male pill: a real possibility

Guillebaud has also been working on the male pill. You thought it was an urban myth right? He talks of a pill in development that can cause men to have "semen free but otherwise completely normal orgasms".
Wouldn’t such a pill be the next logical step in the sexual revolution? Don’t get too excited. It will take 10 to 15 years to complete and is chronically underfunded. He fears "many people don’t feel that a man could be trusted to remember to take it".
In the past 50 years, there have been few changes in male contraception compared with the range of options available to women, according to the NHS. Today, the only contraceptive methods available to men are condoms or a vasectomy – a somewhat drastic procedure if a couple is just trying to be careful.

There are two types of current research into male contraception. One involves hormones, where man-made hormones are used to temporarily stop the development of healthy sperm. But, as many women have found over the years, will this leave men subject to the same mood swings/ headaches/ loss of libido and other side effects?
The other is to do with techniques to prevent healthy sperm from entering a woman's vagina.
The NHS website says: "Researchers are optimistic that a safe, effective and reversible method of male contraception will eventually become a reality, although this is still several years away."
Surely the sexist stereotype that men can’t be trusted to remember basic things is outdated, alongside the stereotype of the woman who cries when she drops her pen and therefore couldn’t possibly belong in a boardroom, belongs to the past.
New studies of the pill and its side effects as well as the development of alternatives are needed. Now. In the 21st Century both men and women should be able to make proactive decisions about their contraception. Until then if we want to have sex and not get pregnant then we might have to accept that something’s got to give.

www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/10463154/Why-is-there-still-no-male-contraceptive-pill.html

The snag is that sperm production is continuous, and once the ampullae are populated (ISWIM) it can take months to be fully clear. So any hormonal method could be disrupted for months for one day's tummy bug affecting absorption. It just doesn't work, though injectable might.

To date however, the level of hormone required to suppress production reliably also produces an unacceptable level of side effects (and acceptability of side effects is 'scored' differently - for women it's against the risks of pregnancy, for men it's against their non-contracepted state).

The other alternative is blocking the transit of sperm to the outside and RISUG (reversible vasectomy) was looking promising. The toxicology needed redoing, as original trials did not meet WHO standards. That was a little while ago, and I don't know where it's reached now.

I'm not saying that men cannot be trusted. I am saying that I would not entrust my fertility to another person because they do not have the same vested interested as I do in looking after my body.

The same goes for vasectomies and men (who really don't want children) trusting women implicitly.

Mrs cakes, I feel the same which is why i've opted for a coil but even that is not 100% effective. If a man takes contraceptives then the chance of pregnancy is obviously minimised further.

Both should be equally able to make individual choices and research / access a variety of contraceptive options IMO.

My issue is that I wouldn't trust a man to remember to take the pill regularly, nor trust him to tell me if he had forgotten...

It's not about disrespecting a partner, it's about him not having the same vested interest. My OH is on anti-depressants and is terrible for remembering to take them. How long after forgetting to take a pill would a man have to abstain for (or use other forms of contraception)? How many men would chance it? How many men would see the morning after pill or abortion as a viable contraceptive choice rather than 'waiting a week'?

The research is ongoing so I don't know the answer to how long a man would 'abstain', what im saying is that is that the male option at least minimises the probability of pregnancy, a woman should carry on with her own choice of contraception if she should wish.

Also with the morning after pill or abortion - a partnership would of course have to discuss the issue but is ultimately a female decision. Neither of these should be viewed as a form of contraception IMO.

"How long after forgetting to take a pill would a man have to abstain for?"

Very good question. If sperm production has restarted, and viable ones have reached the tubing, it can take a while to flush them out. I've no idea if an altered hormone profile would alter the time lines, but post vasectomy (when no more are getting through) clearance takes weeks (most providers request tests at around the 12-16 week point).

Also with the morning after pill or abortion - a partnership would of course have to discuss the issue but is ultimately a female decision. Neither of these should be viewed as a form of contraception IMO.

My point wasn't about choice directly though - it is about the possibility of (some) men of using it as a viable form of contraception (possibly without telling the woman until afterwards). I am questioning whether there are some men who would have the attitude of 'just take the morning after pill' or 'just have an abortion'. This already seems to be a big issues with failures in the womans' contraception, I can only imagine it would be relied on as an answer by men as an alternative to abstinence.

That should read 'some men', not men in general. God, I worded that badly...