Male DUers: Birth control question

[GirlinContempt]

So, men and boys of DU who are sexually active with women, or who plan to be, my question is this.

If there was a pill available that would temporarily stop you from producing live sperm, would you take it?

This is assuming that the pill was as safe as the womens pill, your sperm count could and would return to normal after going off the pill, and it wouldn't affect your sexual performance, ejaculation or anything. Let's also assume that it could cost about the same as the womens pill, and be as available.

Would you do it (or even consider it)? Why? Why not? I really would like to hear thoughts and explanations. I'm really curious.

[ghostsofgiants]

1. Shit yeah I would.

Anything I can do to avoid having a kid.

Okay, I really am going to bed now, haha.

[GirlinContempt]

6. haha ok

good night

[enigmatic]

2. Absolutely

No doubt about it; it would be a no-brainer.

[GirlinContempt]

7. At least a couple of guys I know

are sketchy about the idea of taking a pill that affects their 'junk'. I've been wondering if this is common... I mean, the same guys don't think anything of asking their girlfriends to go on the pill, so I guess I don't get it. I thought maybe some guys on DU might have some insight in to the whole thing, not just that attitude, but the basic idea of the pill for men.

[enigmatic]

17. For me, I never wanted kids

So it would be attractive right there; I imagine that it would also shut-up those guys who think that condoms kill sensation, too.

[hippywife]

59. What's really amazing about that is

that many of the men with that attitude also don't care "where" they put their "junk", ya know?

[Wapsie B]

3. Oh yeah I sure would.

I'd also be in favor of newer forms of STD prevention that would replace condoms.

[GirlinContempt]

8. That would be interesting.

I wonder what kind of things they could make instead? Maybe some sort of like, gel or cream you can smear all over like a body lotion? Or like a sealing hairspray so your skin is sort of covered but still sensitive and everything?


Ok, those are probably two very insane ideas. :)

[Wapsie B]

12. Well I have heard of spray on condoms.

Not that I'd try them until they were perfected mind you. Gels or creams sound good to me. I do like that they're trying other options than the usual stuff. I would be much in favor of something that wouldn't dull the sensitivity. That's the biggest issue when you cover yourself with a trash bag, err condom.


No they're not insane ideas at all. Very good in fact. :)

[GirlinContempt]

47. Female condoms

are the worst for that

[billyoc]

4. Still need condoms for obvious reasons, why bother?

:shrug:

[GirlinContempt]

5. Many couples don't use condoms.

If they've been with their partner for a long time, and know they are free of STD/STIs... It isn't that uncommon. Personally, I prefer to use more than one method of birth control, partly because I've been known to forget to take my pills... but, again, not everyone uses condoms. Some people rely on the pill.

Plus, I think it never hurts to have more than one method of birth control. If someone is on the pill and using condoms, that's at least some backup. Condoms break (and the pill can fail, too), accidents can happen. With more than one form you're less likely to have an accident end up a pregnancy.

[Book Lover]

14. Not everyone needs to use condoms

You must know some married guy who's faithful somewhere, right? :-)

[billyoc]

18. No, I don't know any personally, but I understand there are some.

I guess I forgot to consider them. :shrug:

[ferrferr]

22. Comitted realtionships too, since I'm not married but might as well be ;)

I have progeny from this relationship (and my ex-husband) and been living with my boyfriend for almost 3 years. We don't need STD protection, but we are done having children (but not wanting to go under the knife). If he wants to take b/c so I don't have to have something implanted in me or remember a pill every day then he can freakin' have it!

[moriah]

23. Condoms are not as effective as the Pill is for a woman.

And since the Pill gives me issues -- there's only one I can take, and it's expensive as all hell....

I'd be really pleased if my man could pop a pill and be temporarily infertile. We're still undecided on if we want kids, or at least on the timing if we do decide to reproduce, and it'd be really nice from a female's perspective not to be the one who is solely responsible for a 95+% effective non-permanent birth control.

(It really bites -- I'm allergic to latex, cervical cap isn't more effective than non-latex condoms, and the Pill I can take is like $75 a month.)

Edit to add -- I am a firm believer in condoms, too. But would you rather have an 89% effective form of birth control, a 98% effective birth control, or a combination of both? Stats from http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/1997/babytabl.html )

[GirlinContempt]

57. Ouch

I'm sorry you're in such a sucky b.c. situation. I've dated a couple of guys who're allergic to latex, I know what a problem (expensive problem) it can be. Especially when you're one of the few who can't take the pill! Yikes.

I'm on a special kind of pill because I have PCOS and I need it for hormone therapy, it costs me like $120 for three months, and that's at Canadian drug prices, too! Most people I know pay maybe $10/month or so.

I sorta feel your pain, and thanks for the helpful info :)

[billyskank]

9. Hell yeah.

[Lucian]

10. I would.

I don't want kids.

[LSdemocrat]

11. For me, it would have to have absolutely no, or just ridiculously benign, side effects

I would still probably just prefer to use condoms.

[Book Lover]

13. It's always an interesting quetsion to ask...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=2238369

[GirlinContempt]

48. hah I guess I missed that one

:)

[Book Lover]

65. I think it's great to ask this question every year or so

Longitudinal study, sister! :-)

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. Absolutely

Birth control is a couple's responsibility, and I have no testosterone-addled misconceptions about "shooting blanks" making me less of a man or any such other crap.

[MrSlayer]

16. I would, if I was ever single again.

Under the conditions you describe, I'd see no reason not to. Why? To avoid unwanted pregnancy of course.

[JVS]

19. That's a tough question. One would be tempted to prevent the possibility of offspring.

On the other hand, it would be sinful.

[taterguy]

20. Only if it would relieve my monthly cramps

[ferrferr]

21. I'm not the owner of a penis, but I co-habitate with someone who does...

and he regularly goes on a rant about how the only option men have for birth control are condoms or getting "The V". He wants to be more active about it but everything is taken or implanted into women. It pisses him the hell off. So I will answer on his behalf that he would take male b/c if the option were there.



(And I am referring to my boyfriend there .. hehe)

[SacredCow]

24. Would they make me gain weight...

and lash out at everything imaginable (and sometimes NOT imaginable)?

:silly:





Actually, as a gay man, I totally excuse myself from this poll!

[Dogtown]

25. OTHER?

Vasectomy @ 30. I don' need no steenkin' pills...


EDIT: BTW, not a single regret.

[av8rdave]

26. If I were in that situation, I absolutely would

I did the "permanent fix" many years ago. Stress/worry free now, and I don't have to remember to take a pill.

Then again, at my age, I do have to remember to have sex.

[PVnRT]

27. Who the fuck wouldn't? Condoms suck.

Not that I didn't wear them if needed, but they're a pain in the ass. Male birth-control pills would be a fucking godsend.

[Iggo]

28. Oh hell yes.

And I'd still use a condom.

[Book Lover]

29. kick with a male bc project link

http://www.newmalecontraception.org/index.htm

There are several male bc options in practice, in trials, and in the pipeline. Check it out!

[GirlinContempt]

49. Thanks for the link

[Blue_Tires]

30. yes, i would take it

but i'm already snipped, so the point is moot

[CrownPrinceBandar]

31. Yes, I'd use it.........

But it would really depend on the effectiveness and the potential side-effects.

[applegrove]

32. You forgot to say that if you smoked while on the pill you could have a stroke.

[GirlinContempt]

50. I somehow doubt that the

male pill and female pill would be the same thing (hormones, etc). And, I smoke on the pill. The bigger fear is blood clots, which can happen even if you don't smoke, but are more likely to happen in smokers over 30 or 35 who take the pill regularly. They can cause stroke if they reach the brain, too.

However, the risks are pretty damn low. And, really, smoking in general puts you at a way higher risk for a stroke.

[DS1]

33. Yes

but I'd still use physical protection if I was sleeping with different women every night.

[Rabrrrrrr]

34. I wouldn't, because I don't trust "pills" that alter the course of nature.

Just as I would not expect my partner to go on the pill.

I think nature knows just fine what is needed, and that is that our normal rhythms and processes don't get fucked with, whether it's the human body or the flora and fauna of planet earth.



Now, if I somehow knew via some "magical" process that the pill was entirely safe and wouldn't fuck up my hormones or physical process in any way, then, sure, I'd be willing to take the pill. But since there is no magic crystal ball that guarantee such a thing, I would not.

[Locrian]

36. exactly what I was thinking

Birth control pills are synthetic hormones that can cause all sorts of problems.

I'll take my vasectomy over all of the options :D

[Chan790]

39. Interesting POV...

I say that because some of the most promising research has actually been that which mimics ways in which the body artificially turns off male fertility. (The male body can and frequently does turn off fertility during periods of infection, usually by raising the temperature of the scrotal sack above 95 degrees, destroying stored sperm and halting production.)

Working with nature rather than fighting against it? Gee, who would have guessed that'd work. :eyes:

[Rabrrrrrr]

44. Wow, that was an unneccessarily obnoxiously sarcastic response,

which also didn't really respond to the issues that I raised.

But thanks anyways, Dr. Perfectdiviner.

[Chan790]

45. Actually I was somewhat agreeing with you...

While I am fervently hoping for a better male BC option, hormonal approaches skeeve me out because they're disruptive. The best approaches are those that work with the way our bodies work, not fight against it or attempt to alter in in unnatural ways.

In this case, it's something our bodies already do...why not attempt to do it the same way?

[Rabrrrrrr]

46. Oh, sorry - I read it as being sarcastic.

Not sure why.

Please accept my apologies!

And yes indeedy, the best way is medicines that work with the way our bodies work, instead of fighting against them.

[GirlinContempt]

51. Well

the birth control pill works by adjusting the hormone levels in a womans body to what they would be if she was pregnant, convincing her body that she is already pregnant so it no longer produces eggs, just as it wouldn't if real pregnancy had occurred.

That's, again, synthesizing the bodies natural process to get the same desirable results, right?

[Magrittes Pipe]

35. Nah, my wife's tubes are tied.

If I were unmarried, or were a philanderer, I would use condoms.

[GirlinContempt]

52. As someone else pointed out

condoms + pill is like a double dipped fudge cone of prophylactic goodness.

[flvegan]

37. Yes.

But if I weren't in a steady relationship, I'd still use condoms with it.

[GirlinContempt]

53. Doubling up is always a good call

[LanternWaste]

38. I voted 'consider'...

I voted 'consider'. I'm not in an involved relationship right now, so those rare times in which a young lady graces me with her... person, I still use condoms. But if I were in fact involved with someone and we both knew the other was safe, I'd use the Man-Pill in a heart-beat!

I can't imagine why I wouldn't...

[Gidney N Cloyd]

40. What is this "sex" of which you speak? nt

[Ohio Joe]

41. No

"This is assuming that the pill was as safe as the womens pill"

Perhaps I'm wrong but it is my understanding that the womens pill can cause health risks. The next time I get involved, I will be getting a vasectomy, as far as I know the safest and healthiest way since I do not plan on having children.

[GirlinContempt]

54. Any medication can cause health risks

just as any medical procedure has health risks.
This page has quite a bit of info about the risks that come with a vasectomy. http://www.vasectomy-information.com/moreinfo/risks.htm
That isn't to say that I would tell anyone not to have one. Quite the opposite. It's a personal choice, and for most guys who want one, the benefits will outweigh the risks.

However, the same is true of the pill. Millions of women take the pill with no side effects or complications. After many years of use, women at higher risk can be screened out ahead of time, and Drs know what to look for when first putting their patients on the pill or switching their brand.

The number one risk that people are worried about, that caused the big scare in the 90's was VTE. And women are at higher risk of VTE when pregnant than they are when on the pill.

It's all relative.

[Ohio Joe]

60. I say this based upon...

Several girlfriends over the last few years not wanting to go on the pill because they told me it carried health risks. To be honest, I took their word on it and used a condom instead, so I could be completely wrong. They seemed genuinely concerned about using the pill and the risks seemed small compared to using a condom... if any of the relationships had lasted longer, I would have gotten a vasectomy. The only reason I have not done is that I am open to still having children... I don't plan on it but if I meet the right woman, that wants to, I will and if I meet the right woman that does not want to... snip snip :)

[GirlinContempt]

63. Sadly

many women are uninformed or ill informed about the risks and benefits of birth control.

There have been media-scares, which is really too bad. And people don't often do the research themselves, they rely on word of mouth etc.

If people actually look in to it, the pill (ONLY for pregnancy prevention)when taken properly is more effective than a condom, and the risks are not very high unless you are in a very specific health group to begin with. I think it's unfortunate that more people don't know the real facts, and I wish the media was maybe a little more conscious of what the publish, how they publish it, and following up when things are found to be untrue to grossly exaggerated.

After the huge VTS scare, I think it was in Britian abortions went up by almost 6% in the year following, and the whole thing was really overblown. They say now that they may have prevented probably less than a handful of cases of VTS, but caused a huge upswing in unwanted pregnancy. Sadly, studies still show that many people have false assumptions about it.

But, hey, I don't expect everyone to know all about it, especially if you've never had to take it yourself ;)

[realisticphish]

75. i think

a lot of fundie and catholic propaganda has trickled into mainstream culture. Not to say that there isn't come concern outside of those groups, but i'm sure it has an effect

[Ohio Joe]

76. I don't know

I guess I really should look into real information. My feeling previously has been that if the girl I'm with is not comfortable taking the pill, do I really have the right to try and talk her into doing it anyway... To me, the reason was not what was really inportant, that she did not want to was.

[PRETZEL]

42. hell that was the easiest question I've answered all day,

of course I would.

It takes 2 to tango. Why should it be just her responsibility (condoms not always 100%).

Still moot point. Neutered at 40.

[ironflange]

43. There already is a male birth control pill

You put it in your shoe and it makes you limp.

[GirlinContempt]

55. Thanks everyone

this has been interesting

[SidneyCarton]

56. Yes.

So long as it affected me less than the Pill affected Mrs. Carton.

[leeroysphitz]

58. I would love such a pill. Then I could finally stop using condoms for GOOD!

Just kidding. :hide:

[BlueJazz]

61. I would take the pill but I don't want to stop Women from having my Precious Body Fluids.

[GirlinContempt]

64. Dead sperm doesn't = no fluid

:P

[BlueJazz]

72. Ah....but then they wouldn't be "Precious"

(You do know I'm Kidding) :)

[harmonicon]

62. yes, I'd take it

Why. Seriously, you have to ask?! I don't want any babies!

[Danger Mouse]

66. Sounds good.

[Solon]

67. Yes, its the best way to protect myself...

No method of birth control is 100% effective, however, they do greatly reduce the chances, so I would want to reduce them as many ways as possible in a non-permanent fashion until I'm ready to have kids. A combination of methods(pills for both partners and condoms) would be ideal.

[WCGreen]

68. In a New York minute...

[quakerboy]

69. I would take ti

When it happens, I will be taking it. And my wife will still take hers. And we will keep using the condoms. We ain't ready yet, and neither of us trust any of it. My dad had a vasectomy and yet I still have a sister. Them little spermy bastards are conniving tricksters and made themselves a third tube which he got snipped thereafter.



Anyway, I have no problem with the concept. Theoretically I would take it in a heartbeat.

In practice, things get trickier. I am not good at routine. Can ya get me an implant instead? Plus, Ive done a bit too much reading of medical literature, including all the print. How safe are we making this? killing the sperm is good, killing the me is less good. And cancer just kinda skieves me out.

[Evoman]

70. I'm an atheist and I've actually PRAYED for it.

There is only one person I can trust 100 percent, and that's me. If I could take this male pill (or even better, a shot of some sort), I'd do it the day after it came out. Hell, the fucking researchers can get in touch with me now and I'll be the test subject. I wouldn't even be too unhappy if I was permanently sterilized.

[krispos42]

71. Cheaper than child support

A pill for him, a pill for her, and a condom to keep the germs from travelling.


Hmph. I guess if you wanted to be really sure you'd add a vaginal anti-contraceptive film and a diaphram.



Two more layers and you have a bean dip!

[RetroLounge]

73. Sure, I'd take it...

Is it retroactive? :9

RL

[realisticphish]

74. why the hell WOULDN'T you