Your Opinion(s) on the Male Birth Control Pills? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

swedeace · 03-15-2007, 12:04 PM

What do you all think about this? Ladies, would you trust your husband/boyfriend being on top of ingesting the male birth control pills? Why, or why not? Males, do you agree with this article or not?

A Guy Thing?
http://health.msn.com/centers/mensex...ntid=100157847

Male birth control products are getting closer to market—really—but the question remains if men will use them.

Signing up for the draft, twisting the lids off pickle jars, putting the toilet seat down—the standard list of manly responsibilities hasn’t changed much since your grandfather was in short pants. Coincidentally, neither have guys’ options for safer sex. Within the next 10 to 12 years, though, new methods of birth control will make uncomfortable condoms and irreversible vasectomies a thing of the past and put men more firmly in control of their own fertility.

Scientists have been toying with male birth control since at least the 1970s. Nearly as old are the periodic flurries of breathless news stories promising that said miracle pills will arrive at your local pharmacy within a few years. Even some of the more popular women’s magazines have practically sworn off the story until the development is more substantive than just another tease from R & D folks.

So what gives? Why has it been so darn difficult to master the male reproductive system?

One of the main problems is biological. When research into male contraception first began, the scientists working on it were heavily influenced by the female pill—which works by raising estrogen levels and preventing the release of eggs. Because of this, scientists started out trying to control male fertility in a similar way, by adjusting the levels of testosterone to block sperm production.

Turns out, this was easier dreamed than done. The process of finding a workable hormone combination took a lot longer than anyone had expected and, along the way, some frustrated researchers turned their attention away from hormones altogether, further setting back the timetable.

The second problem is a bit more complicated. Financial support for this kind of research has never been very strong. And experts like Elaine Lissner, president of the Male Contraception Information Project, say that public and individual attitudes are at the heart of the cash crunch.

“Up until maybe 10 or 15 years ago, guys were sort of, ‘You ‘ain’t touching my private parts,’ ” she says. Most governments and pharmaceutical companies didn’t see any reason to bother pouring limited resources into a product the public wasn’t interested in.

A Change in Attitudes?

But Lissner and others say that men’s attitudes have changed, particularly as Generation X-ers came face to face with fatherhood. Cord Brinkman, a single 23-year-old from Kansas City, Mo., says male contraception is appealing because it represents a way to even up the reproductive playing field. “Men are legally and financially responsible for any children they father,” he says, “but there are few options available for men who wish to avoid that.”

Male contraception proponents also cite a survey published in the journal Human Reproduction in December 2004. Collecting data from about 9,000 men in eight different countries, the study found that 55 percent would be interested in hormonally based birth control methods. Lissner hopes this slim majority will convince governments to pour more cash into research.

On the other hand, if purse holders don’t believe that male contraception is worth funding, then the concept could remain in limbo indefinitely. “The science is there,” Lissner says, “but it’s like you have a bunch of race horses at the starting gate and you’re just feeding them a bit of hay. You can’t expect them to get anywhere on that.”

A caution: Public interest might not be as strong as the Human Reproduction survey would indicate—at least, not in the United States. According to a new MSN-Zogby poll, only 13 percent of American men said they would use it. Among both genders, 36 percent of American adults said their “current method is fine” and approximately another one-third said they would wait a year before using any new male birth control product.

Anecdotally, it is fair to speculate there’s also a lot of apathy. Cord Brinkman might be excited about male birth control himself, but he says most of his friends haven’t thought about it and don’t seem to care.

The Research Pipeline

Troubles with funding and consumer interest aside, there are several methods of male birth control that indeed are working their way through the research pipeline. Divided into two broad categories—hormonally based and everything else—there are at least a dozen methods floating around. Here are the promising developments:

Method: Hormonal.

How It Works: The latest, and most successful, version involves careful dosages of two different hormones. The first is progesterone, a chemical that also is a big player in most female birth control pills. Increasing a guy’s progesterone levels will shut off sperm production, but also leads to awkward side effects—like breast growth. Regular doses of testosterone counteract this.

It’s taken under the skin. According to researcher Regine Sitruk-Ware, the Population Council Center for Biomedical Research is working on a way to deliver the necessary doses in one or two yearly implants.

Likelihood You’ll Live to See It: High. Hormonal birth control has been in the works for a long time. A pharmaceutical company called Organon had a version in the final stages of clinical trials last year, but opted to drop it after the delivery method (implant and regular injections) proved too inconvenient.

Method: RISUG.

How It Works: Essentially a reversible vasectomy, the Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance system involves one simple injection into the vas deferens, the tube that sperm travel through on their way from the testes to the urethra. The shot delivers a dose of a compound that blocks up the tube and breaks apart the cell membranes of any sperm that try to sneak past.

Likelihood You’ll Live to See It: Very high. RISUG is set to begin Phase III clinical trials in India this month. If it passes those, the only thing left in the way is approval by the FDA.

Method: Dry orgasm pill.

How It Works: Just like it sounds, the dry orgasm pill would chemically prevent the involuntary muscle movements that get sperm and the rest of the ingredients of semen into (and out of) the urethra. According to Kirsten Thompson of the Male Contraception Coalition, because this method prevents the passage of bodily fluids it has the potential to replace the condom—preventing both pregnancy and STD exchange.

Likelihood You’ll Live to See It: Mid to low. The basics of the pill were only discovered in November 2006. This method still has a long way to go before it even gets to clinical trials.

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 03-15-2007, 12:35 PM

I dont know why a guy wouldnt want to take a pill if he didnt want to have kids. Its the womans responsibilty as well though so it should be a mutual agreement on birth control.

TripperFan · 03-15-2007, 12:51 PM

IT'S ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!!

*MIBabe03* · 03-15-2007, 01:24 PM

I'm all for it. Although I wonder if STD's would be on the rise.

AB · 03-15-2007, 02:13 PM

This sounds great!

Lex Luthor · 03-15-2007, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ¤I Love Clay Aiken¤

I dont know why a guy wouldnt want to take a pill if he didnt want to have kids. Its the womans responsibilty as well though so it should be a mutual agreement on birth control.

Not a very bright perspective, so if the woman forgets and becomes pregnant does that mean the judge will let you out of your fatherly responsibilities because after all it was her responsibility.

I think it is a good idea but I find it hard to believe that this can protect against STD's with any real effectiveness.

For couples who are not concerned with STD's (i.e. don't have any) this is a good replacement for the condom. There are many side effects to the womans pill especially when they get older, if the side effects are less for men then another reason why this pill would be good

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 03-16-2007, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lex Luthor

Not a very bright perspective, so if the woman forgets and becomes pregnant does that mean the judge will let you out of your fatherly responsibilities because after all it was her responsibility.

I think it is a good idea but I find it hard to believe that this can protect against STD's with any real effectiveness.

For couples who are not concerned with STD's (i.e. don't have any) this is a good replacement for the condom. There are many side effects to the womans pill especially when they get older, if the side effects are less for men then another reason why this pill would be good

Huh? What Im saying is, if the man has no desire to have kids either he should take responsibility as well to prevent it whether it be 'male bc' or condoms. IMO its both parties responsibility and both have to pay the consequences.

Lex Luthor · 03-16-2007, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ¤I Love Clay Aiken¤

Huh? What Im saying is, if the man has no desire to have kids either he should take responsibility as well to prevent it whether it be 'male bc' or condoms. IMO its both parties responsibility and both have to pay the consequences.

Sorry I misread your original post, I read can't see why a guy would .... not wouldn't as you wrote.

My apologies

Chelsea · 03-16-2007, 03:07 AM

I myself have no problem with it - Condoms aren't 100% effective, and it would take a lot of worry out of MY mind, to say the least.

That said, If found it amazingly ironic that there was an ad for Viagra on the page with the story over on MSN.

TripperFan · 03-16-2007, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ¤I Love Clay Aiken¤

Huh? What Im saying is, if the man has no desire to have kids either he should take responsibility as well to prevent it whether it be 'male bc' or condoms. IMO its both parties responsibility and both have to pay the consequences.

Better yet - if a guy doesn't want kids at all - go for The Big V. Isn't all that painful or intrusive (at least not like with women) and it's pretty much permanent. I don't know why they make such a big deal about it - I can't even suggest it to my hubby.

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 03-16-2007, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lex Luthor

Sorry I misread your original post, I read can't see why a guy would .... not wouldn't as you wrote.

My apologies

Thats ok.

*MIBabe03* · 03-16-2007, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TripperFan

Better yet - if a guy doesn't want kids at all - go for The Big V. Isn't all that painful or intrusive (at least not like with women) and it's pretty much permanent. I don't know why they make such a big deal about it - I can't even suggest it to my hubby.

Yeah. Guys think of it as having their manhood taken away. Obviously not true, it's not like they are cutting off the balls or penis or anything.

TJL · 03-16-2007, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *MIBabe03*

I'm all for it. Although I wonder if STD's would be on the rise.

Good point.

Ireneparalegal · 03-16-2007, 12:52 PM

Guys can't remember to pick up their sh*t off the floor.
Guys can't remember to put the toilet seat down...this is the person women really want to remember and trust to take A BIRTH CONTROL PILL???????

Bobby F. · 03-16-2007, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Guys can't remember to pick up their sh*t off the floor.
Guys can't remember to put the toilet seat down...this is the person women really want to remember and trust to take A BIRTH CONTROL PILL???????

And women can't remember to put the toilet seat up.

03-15-2007, 12:04 PM	#1
swedeace Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 22, 2003 Posts: 9,009	Your Opinion(s) on the Male Birth Control Pills? What do you all think about this? Ladies, would you trust your husband/boyfriend being on top of ingesting the male birth control pills? Why, or why not? Males, do you agree with this article or not? A Guy Thing? http://health.msn.com/centers/mensex...ntid=100157847 Male birth control products are getting closer to market—really—but the question remains if men will use them. Signing up for the draft, twisting the lids off pickle jars, putting the toilet seat down—the standard list of manly responsibilities hasn’t changed much since your grandfather was in short pants. Coincidentally, neither have guys’ options for safer sex. Within the next 10 to 12 years, though, new methods of birth control will make uncomfortable condoms and irreversible vasectomies a thing of the past and put men more firmly in control of their own fertility. Scientists have been toying with male birth control since at least the 1970s. Nearly as old are the periodic flurries of breathless news stories promising that said miracle pills will arrive at your local pharmacy within a few years. Even some of the more popular women’s magazines have practically sworn off the story until the development is more substantive than just another tease from R & D folks. So what gives? Why has it been so darn difficult to master the male reproductive system? One of the main problems is biological. When research into male contraception first began, the scientists working on it were heavily influenced by the female pill—which works by raising estrogen levels and preventing the release of eggs. Because of this, scientists started out trying to control male fertility in a similar way, by adjusting the levels of testosterone to block sperm production. Turns out, this was easier dreamed than done. The process of finding a workable hormone combination took a lot longer than anyone had expected and, along the way, some frustrated researchers turned their attention away from hormones altogether, further setting back the timetable. The second problem is a bit more complicated. Financial support for this kind of research has never been very strong. And experts like Elaine Lissner, president of the Male Contraception Information Project, say that public and individual attitudes are at the heart of the cash crunch. “Up until maybe 10 or 15 years ago, guys were sort of, ‘You ‘ain’t touching my private parts,’ ” she says. Most governments and pharmaceutical companies didn’t see any reason to bother pouring limited resources into a product the public wasn’t interested in. A Change in Attitudes? But Lissner and others say that men’s attitudes have changed, particularly as Generation X-ers came face to face with fatherhood. Cord Brinkman, a single 23-year-old from Kansas City, Mo., says male contraception is appealing because it represents a way to even up the reproductive playing field. “Men are legally and financially responsible for any children they father,” he says, “but there are few options available for men who wish to avoid that.” Male contraception proponents also cite a survey published in the journal Human Reproduction in December 2004. Collecting data from about 9,000 men in eight different countries, the study found that 55 percent would be interested in hormonally based birth control methods. Lissner hopes this slim majority will convince governments to pour more cash into research. On the other hand, if purse holders don’t believe that male contraception is worth funding, then the concept could remain in limbo indefinitely. “The science is there,” Lissner says, “but it’s like you have a bunch of race horses at the starting gate and you’re just feeding them a bit of hay. You can’t expect them to get anywhere on that.” A caution: Public interest might not be as strong as the Human Reproduction survey would indicate—at least, not in the United States. According to a new MSN-Zogby poll, only 13 percent of American men said they would use it. Among both genders, 36 percent of American adults said their “current method is fine” and approximately another one-third said they would wait a year before using any new male birth control product. Anecdotally, it is fair to speculate there’s also a lot of apathy. Cord Brinkman might be excited about male birth control himself, but he says most of his friends haven’t thought about it and don’t seem to care. The Research Pipeline Troubles with funding and consumer interest aside, there are several methods of male birth control that indeed are working their way through the research pipeline. Divided into two broad categories—hormonally based and everything else—there are at least a dozen methods floating around. Here are the promising developments: Method: Hormonal. How It Works: The latest, and most successful, version involves careful dosages of two different hormones. The first is progesterone, a chemical that also is a big player in most female birth control pills. Increasing a guy’s progesterone levels will shut off sperm production, but also leads to awkward side effects—like breast growth. Regular doses of testosterone counteract this. It’s taken under the skin. According to researcher Regine Sitruk-Ware, the Population Council Center for Biomedical Research is working on a way to deliver the necessary doses in one or two yearly implants. Likelihood You’ll Live to See It: High. Hormonal birth control has been in the works for a long time. A pharmaceutical company called Organon had a version in the final stages of clinical trials last year, but opted to drop it after the delivery method (implant and regular injections) proved too inconvenient. Method: RISUG. How It Works: Essentially a reversible vasectomy, the Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance system involves one simple injection into the vas deferens, the tube that sperm travel through on their way from the testes to the urethra. The shot delivers a dose of a compound that blocks up the tube and breaks apart the cell membranes of any sperm that try to sneak past. Likelihood You’ll Live to See It: Very high. RISUG is set to begin Phase III clinical trials in India this month. If it passes those, the only thing left in the way is approval by the FDA. Method: Dry orgasm pill. How It Works: Just like it sounds, the dry orgasm pill would chemically prevent the involuntary muscle movements that get sperm and the rest of the ingredients of semen into (and out of) the urethra. According to Kirsten Thompson of the Male Contraception Coalition, because this method prevents the passage of bodily fluids it has the potential to replace the condom—preventing both pregnancy and STD exchange. Likelihood You’ll Live to See It: Mid to low. The basics of the pill were only discovered in November 2006. This method still has a long way to go before it even gets to clinical trials.

03-15-2007, 12:35 PM	#2
¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ MISS APRIL Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 19, 2001 Location: Parsonsfield ME Shaws - Screwing my way up the employment ladder! Posts: 68,780	I dont know why a guy wouldnt want to take a pill if he didnt want to have kids. Its the womans responsibilty as well though so it should be a mutual agreement on birth control.
	__________________ DAVID COOK FOR AMERICAN IDOL

03-15-2007, 12:51 PM	#3
TripperFan In God's Arms Now Forum Star Join Date: Sep 14, 2003 Location: Heartbreak Ridge Posts: 12,086	IT'S ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!!
	__________________ If I don't see you in this world, I'll meet you in the next one.....don't be late James Marshall Hendrix Voodoo Chile The Forum Legend formerly known as TripperFan "religion is for people who are afraid of hell--spirituality is for people who have been through hell"---anonymous

03-15-2007, 01:24 PM	#4
MIBabe03 Loving Swingtown! Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 28, 2002 Location: TX Posts: 4,646	I'm all for it. Although I wonder if STD's would be on the rise.
	__________________ Laura and Mario November 10, 2006

03-16-2007, 03:07 AM	#9
Chelsea Semi-retired Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Washington Posts: 5,727	I myself have no problem with it - Condoms aren't 100% effective, and it would take a lot of worry out of MY mind, to say the least. That said, If found it amazingly ironic that there was an ad for Viagra on the page with the story over on MSN.
	__________________ Chelsea Former Administrator, 2005-2012 Former Member, DVD Review Team, 2004-2010.

03-15-2007, 02:13 PM	#5
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,428	This sounds great!

03-16-2007, 12:52 PM	#14
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	Guys can't remember to pick up their sh*t off the floor. Guys can't remember to put the toilet seat down...this is the person women really want to remember and trust to take A BIRTH CONTROL PILL???????
	__________________ DALLAS COWBOYS ARE HERE AT TRAINING CAMP!!!