A birth control pill for men?
Photo taken from Women's Health Philippines Oct 2009 issue
Women have a myriad of options when it comes to birth control while men only have condoms or a vasectomy to choose from. A recent discovery may level the playing field on that one.
According to an article in Women’s Health Philippines (October 2009), scientists studying infertile men found a mutation in a gene that prevents it from making a certain protein, essentially stalling sperm motility or its ability to swim to an egg.
The findings may lead to the development of a male contraceptive that turns off the protein in fertile men, says study author Michael Hildebrand, PhD. of the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.
“We have identified CATSPER1 as a gene that is involved in non-syndromic male infertility in humans, a finding which could lead to future infertility therapies that replace the gene or the protein. But, perhaps even more importantly, this finding could have implications for male contraception,” said Hildebrand, co-lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in otolaryngology.
The drug won’t alter men’s genetics, so its side effects would be reversible.
The discovery of the bill control pill over 40 years ago was hailed by many women as the best human-made invention of all time. Will men feel the same way about the discovery of a male birth control pill?
Here’s what some of them have to say about the matter.
- Personally, I don’t like the idea of taking pills as contraceptive because I’m afraid of its possible side effects. I’d probably wait for 10 years after men start taking it to make sure that it won’t have serious negative effects on the body. – Banker, 33, married with 2 kids.
- Performance wise, it is more ideal as you do not need to use rubber and it would also help in population control. I’m for it for as long as it is reversible & doesn’t have side effects – JM, 34, married
- Not a bad idea; it allows a more pleasureable expereince without risk of pregnancy. — Gardo, 35, single and active
The development of this breakthrough may improve the use of contraception to curb population growth rates as the male “morning pill” may reduce unwanted pregnancies. Although many factors are needed to be assumed like availability and usability to make sure these pills reach and be used by the biggest social segment of unwanted pregnancies, we can safely conclude that this program will help curb a country’s population problem to a certain degree if such a program ensures meeting these factors.
Expectedly, this will further complicate the already murky waters where arguments regarding legal and moral sides of using contraceptives are already thrown in. A launch will be met by strong resistance from the church since it still has clout to sway government policies through its present connections with allies in the Legislative branch. It also is in a good position to create its propaganda through Sunday sermons and its perennial and varied church related activities.
But since we’re being pragmatic, I guess the relevant physical health concern is the increased widespread of STDs brought about by opening the floodgates permitting men to endlessly indulge in their lustful desires without thinking of the consequences of pregnancy. The general public may see an immediate decrease in population rates but at what cost? Aside from the spread of STDs, indirect negative effects from sexual mental depravation and addiction (do I hear Tiger Woods?) alone is a substantial argument not to allow this kind of male contraception. I can immediately think of increased rape crimes & sexual molestation of kids. Teenagers are particularly vulnerable since the increase in sexual activity at the time hormones are on the rampage will not only contribute to the widespread of disease but also indirectly negatively affect study habits, grades, and parent-child relations among many others. In fact, I think that teenage girls will bear the brunt of any advancement of this program. In the distant future, we may see fewer squatter areas to be overtaken by middle class subdivisions. But I won’t be surprised if my middle class teenage granddaughter runs away with men over half her age or God forbid, her father himself. But if people insist on this, pharmaceutical companies can just sell to the porn industry where at least men won’t need to have vasectomies and actually give them a chance to have children later on.