go_nad_for_contraceptive_=

rad; birth control goes 'nad! forms of female birth control such as 'the pill' have been researched and marketed extensively since the 1960s, but research for a comparable product for males has been much slower in production. Why is this? Can awareness be raised and more research done?

[kazephantom]

(for reference I’m a guy) You know what I never see anyone talk about, a birth control pill for men. Seriously, is there no one looking into that? I think it’s terrible that women are the ones expected to take medication to have sex. I mean, seriously, it can’t be that hard to find a way to find a...

[contraceptiveequality-blog]

To be fair, it is harder to develop male birth control because female birth control only has to worry about one egg per month in contrast to the millions of sperm in a day.

Regardless, above is a perspective to refute a lot of what is said about the idea. 

[lifeserendipities]

Oh no, let me go take my birth control before I get a girl pregnant

-Says no guy ever (via lifeserendipities)

Will this always be the case? 

[femonster-blog]

If I were going to describe the perfect contraceptive, it would go something like this: no babies, no latex, no daily pill to remember, no hormones to interfere with mood or sex drive, no negative health effects whatsoever, and 100 percent effectiveness. The funny thing is, something like that currently exists.

The procedure called RISUG (reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance) takes about 15 minutes with a doctor, is effective after about three days, and lasts for up to 10 years. A doctor applies some local anesthetic, makes a small pinhole in the base of the scrotum, reaches in with a pair of very thin forceps, and pulls out the small white vas deferens tube. Then, the doctor injects a polymer called Vasalgel, pushes the vas deferens back inside, puts a band aid over the small hole, and the man is on his way. If this all sounds incredibly simple and inexpensive, that’s because it is. The chemicals themselves cost less than the syringe used to administer them.

…

With one little injection, this non-toxic jelly will sit there for 10 years without you having to do anything else to not have babies. Set it and forget it. Oh, and when you do decide you want those babies, it only takes one other injection of water and baking soda to flush out the gel, and within two to three months, you’ve got all your healthy sperm again.

The trouble is, most people don’t even know this exists. And if men only need one super-cheap shot every 10 years, that’s not something that gets big pharmaceutical companies all fired up, because they’ll make zero money on it (even if it might have the side benefit of, you know, destroying HIV).

If this sounds awesome for you or your loved one, get the word out. Share this article.

[femonster-blog]

Click the link for more information on how it works.

edit:

What do you think?

Also, good call by http://madziontist.tumblr.com/: This refers to people with penises, not necessarily men.

[contraceptiveequality-blog]

gel forms of male birth control

There is a procedure called RISUG that is a gel injected into the vas differens and it has been shown in the trials that have been done so far to be a functional form of birth control. It has also been shown so far to be reversible. 

(Roy, S., Ghosh, D., & Guha, S. K. (February 15, 2009). Polyelectrolyte polymer properties in relation to male contraceptive RISUG^(R) action. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 69, 1, 77-84.)

There is a similar substance awaiting trial currently, called Vasalgel. This research is underfunded, however. 

(http://www.parsemusfoundation.org/vasalgel-home/) 

[feminspire]

The male birth control shot is cheap, effective, and administered in a relatively painless 15 minute outpatient procedure and has been in existence for 25 years… 25 years?? 25 years of testing and we have not heard about it until now… I think that the reason it has taken so long for this shot to make real progress in the Western world is the patriarchy and, surprise!, the special interests of the drug companies. Drug companies want something they can sell repeatedly. This shot is a one stop shop — once the patient gets it they never have to get it again. In theory, if one age group of men all got it, there would be years before there would be another large group of men in need of it. So they continue to push Viagra and focus on women’s birth control, of which there are a dozen varieties all in need of multiple doses. Also, the drug would not make them much money if it costs less than the syringe it’s delivered in. Many experts say that this drug would make a huge difference for young families living in poverty — if they can limit the size of their family, they have a better chance of getting ahead. Drug companies are not interested in selling one-time use drugs for the sake of charity and The Greater Good. Drug companies want to make money.

Peggy Korpela, Male Birth Control: Easy, Effective, Available, and Totally Unheard Of (Feminspire.com)

contraceptiveequality said: This is clearly biased, but not inaccurate as far as I can tell from the point of view of a person who has been looking into research on male birth control for several weeks. 

[contraceptiveequality-blog]

A Personal Reflection on Male Birth Control Resarch

After using the library to research male contraceptive, I came to realize that the answers to the questions I had coming into the research were not really all that complicated. My questions were as follows: 

Is there an effective form of male birth control comparable to the female “pill” or intrauterine device on the market or in development? If not, why? And if so, why is it not readily available and publicly discussed? Why does this topic seem to be such a mystery?

And the simple answers are no, though there are a few somewhat promising options in development. These projects of development are underfunded, however, because the type of contraceptive that would be developed would not make very much money for a pharmaceutical company. This problem has been encountered through the years since the female pill was developed; the language used in literature from the 1980s about how we are “close” to an effective product for males looks the same today. A lack of funds and a perception that the products might not be widely used or accepted seem to be the overarching explanations for why this type of birth control option does not yet exist openly. 

[beequal]

[contraceptiveequality-blog]

Pros and Cons of Hormonal Contraception For Men

"Advantages of hormonal contraception for men

Advantages associated with injectable male contraception include:

It would give men a new, reversible and alternative method of contraception that they could control themselves.

It would offer an alternative to vasectomy in men and tubal ligation in women (neither of which are reliably reversible).

The method would provide an alternative for couples who are unable to use certain methods of female contraception, such as the combined oral contraceptive pill.

It would allow men to share the responsibility for the physical and psychological issues associated with contraception, such as the financial costs and the need to visit health professionals regularly.

Disadvantages of hormonal contraception for men

Disadvantages associated with injectable male contraception include that:

It would offer no protection from STIs, such as HIV and chlamydia.

It would take about three to six months to work and a similar length of time to wear off.

The method would fail to suppress sperm levels in one in 25 men who use it.

It may raise complex issues about the rights and responsibilities of men and women regarding fertility regulation, as some women may be apprehensive about trusting a man to use a method that they cannot ‘see’ in use.

It would take many years to assess any long-term side effects.

Choosing the right method of contraception

Choosing contraception that is right for you requires accurate information and the ability to communicate openly with your partner. Issues such as effectiveness, safety and adverse effects must be weighed against convenience, cost and issues of trust and control. "

[contraceptiveequality-blog]

What it is: A polymer gel that goes in the vas deferens and kills sperm for more than 10 years. It is expected to be reversible, based on decades of studies in India of a similar polymer called RISUG.

Why we like it: It’s ultra-targeted and specific—no hormone side effects throughout the body. Like vasectomy, it’s “get it and forget it”—one 10-minute procedure and then nothing to think about after that. But unlike vasectomy, it looks like it will be reversible—a huge difference, since psychologically, most people like to keep their options open, and men who aren’t finished having children could use it too.

The holdup and next steps: The related compound, RISUG,  is in advanced clinical trials in India and could be available on a limited basis there in the next few years. In the U.S., a nonprofit foundation is taking up the project under the name “Vasalgel” and doing everything to FDA standards—now all that’s needed is additional funders and investors for the $6 million social venture project.

Show your support: tell us your story so we can show big funders all the reasons men and women want this long-acting contraceptive. And sign up to donate, invest, or hear when clinical trials start.

[contraceptiveequality-blog]

Men have no readily available contraceptive between the condom, with its high typical-use pregnancy rate, and vasectomy, with its permanence.

Would men use one?. (n.d.). Male Contraception Information Project. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://www.newmalecontraception.org/would-men-use-one/

[contraceptiveequality-blog]

For a really effective and safe form of male contraceptive to become a reality, a battle in regards to funding must be fought. The Parsemus Foundation is reaching out to the public for help in funding trials. 

Parsemus Foundation » Vasalgel Home. (n.d.). Parsemus Foundation. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from http://www.parsemusfoundation.org/vasalgel-home/

[bedsider]

We’d love to see a new male birth control option on the market, but sadly the science just isn’t there yet. On the other hand, where there’s a will, there’s a way—judging from how many people on twitter seem to be behind male birth control, maybe it’ll be here sooner than we thought.

[contraceptiveequality-blog]

If the advocates of new contraceptives for men fail to revise cultural perceptions, it is very likely that the technology will fail altogether.

Oudshoorn, N. (2003). The politics of language: changing family planning discourse to include men. The male pill: A biography of a technology in the making. (pp. 113-139). Durham: Duke University Press.