A few days ago, I was hanging out with a bunch of my guy friends. Since they think of me as a “bro,” they feel comfortable expressing their sexist opinions in front of me, and normally I laugh at their sexual exploits and jokes. But when one of them turned to me and asked why all girls don’t just take the pill, to make their lives easier and condoms unnecessary, I snapped. Why is contraception always the girl’s responsibility? Birth control comes with often unwelcome side effects and a sometimes expensive price tag, not to mention the hassle of refilling your prescription each month! All boys have to do is provide condoms, since none of us are mean enough to insist on vasectomies in college. So why do they keep complaining?
Turns out, there might soon be something more they can do. Scientists are working on the development of a male birth control pill and alternate contraceptive devices that do not require surgery or uncomfortable latex. In fact, a male birth control pill could be on the market in as little as five to seven years! Beyond that, men could even have options: a daily pill, a patch or gel applied to the skin, an injection once every 3 months, or an implant placed under the skin ever 12 months. Ladies, imagine watching your boyfriend take the pill every morning knowing he’s fully responsible, instead of you!
Scientists have gone in several different directions in terms of producing male contraceptives. The goal of any male contraceptive device is to “eliminate or block the majority of sperm a man produces without causing significant side effect or affecting a man’s masculinity or sexuality.” In order to do so, researchers turned first to hormone-based pills, which would increase the levels of testosterone in a man’s blood stream, thus keeping the brain convinced that enough sperm had been produced and effectively shutting down sperm production. The problem with significantly increased testosterone levels are the side effects: weight gain, acne, prostate-gland growth, and abnormal liver function. Another option includes a mixture of progestogen, a hormone
used in female birth control pills, and testosterone. Progestogen, in low doses, suppresses the reproductive system. However, it can also affect male sexuality; thus the ideal pill would be a combination of progestogen and testosterone. Unfortunately, testosterone is broken down during digestion, so producing a pill with enough testosterone and progestogen to be effective may be problematic.
Non-hormonal pills may also be a viable option. These drugs are designed to lower the sperm count or disable the sperm so that they are unable to fertilize eggs. Scientists have discovered a protein called Cs that “turns on” sperm tails as they leave the testes; the pill would potentially inactivate the sperm tails so that the sperm would be unable to swim to and fertilize an egg. Another possibility targets the protein which causes sperm to mature. Monkey test subjects receiving this injection became infertile during treatment and regained their fertility when the injections stopped. Several of these non-hormonal options were discovered as unintended side effects of drugs designed to treat illnesses such as cancer.
As male contraception inches closer to FDA approval in the United States, one question remains: will men actually take the pill? I surveyed a few of my guy friends, and the general consensus was yes. While many of them said they’d require more information, extensive tests, and testimony from people they know, all of them agreed that they would be open to the idea. Although the thought of side effects such as acne and weight gain is not ideal, ultimately, pregnancy is a much worse result.
So girls, be on the look-out for male birth control to hit the markets in the next five years. Get ready to give up the reins and enjoy taking a back seat in contraceptive control. But for now, keep taking the pill, and make sure your guy wears a condom to be safe – after all, he should take some responsibility too!