For years, women have been given the responsibility of taking their birth control. Currently, all forms of birth control, except condoms or vasectomies, are designed for female use only. Forms of male birth control have been discussed and developed, but many are still undergoing testing due to the potential side effects of hormone-based solutions.
Now, a doctor in India has developed a new form of birth control for men. The method has been used on humans, but is still considered experimental. The procedure is known as Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance (RISUG). The procedure starts out like a normal vasectomy, but instead of cutting, the doctor injects a polymer into the vas deferens, which causes the sperm that travel through the tube to be chemically altered, rendering them unable to impregnate a woman.
If approved, the results could be revolutionary. The procedure is effective for up to 10 years, and it is completely reversible, with no hormonal injections required. Not only would it eliminate the need for vasectomies, which are a considerably more complicated surgical procedure, but it would also allow men to take responsibility when it comes to reproductive decisions.
Currently, 28 percent of women who use contraceptives use the pill, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute (GI). This is closely followed by the 27 percent who have used the permanent method of tubal ligation, rendering them completely infertile. “Of the 2.9 million teenage women who use contraceptives, 54 percent—more than 1.5 million women—rely on the pill,” states the GI’s website.
The politics of birth control have always been skewed. Margaret Sanger, the controversial figure who began what we now know as Planned Parenthood, envisioned a “magic pill” that could prevent pregnancy for women all the way back in 1912.
When the “pill” was introduced to women in 1954 in a series of clinical trials, the side effects were mostly unknown. During the testing phase, women were told that instead of taking a contraceptive, they were undergoing tests to help them conceive. The pill was also taken to Puerto Rico and given to women who were considered “poor and uneducated.” Three women died during this testing period, yet no investigation was made into their deaths.
Progestin, a hormone which is still used in birth control today, had not been extensively researched. Estrogen was also added to the birth control pills. The amounts of hormones used in the pills were hundreds of times the doses used in today’s contraceptives.
Unbeknownst to scientists then, estrogen, when taken for extended periods, can cause cancer. Additionally, there were many reports of blood clots, some of which turned out deadly, as well as a spectrum of other unpleasant side effects that many women on the pill today still face.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) recently added estrogen to its list of known cancer-causing agents. Estrogen increases the risk of some types of cancers when taken consistently, putting women who are on birth control at risk.
Other side effects of hormonal birth control methods include weight gain, mood swings, loss of sex drive, spotting, vomiting and nausea, breast tenderness, pain, headaches, changes in appetite and depression. It appears that the side effects can be very unpleasant, but a woman who chooses to use birth control is forced to deal with them.
This new non-hormonal method would not only eliminate the risks women face when taking birth control, it would also equalize the gender politics at play. Currently, if a woman wants to use a highly effective birth control method like the pill (which is reported to be over 90 percent effective), she must choose to submit herself to a plethora of side-effects.
If men were allowed to make the choice to become responsible for birth control, not only would they be relieving women of these symptoms, but would also bear some of the burden.
Those who are on the birth control pill know the stress of having to remember every single day to take their pill at the correct time. Those who use methods like Depo-Provera know the pain of having to be injected with hormones every three months. Those on the patch worry about whether or not it will remain fastened to their skin for the correct amount of time.
This new form of birth control, if proven to be safe and effective, will hopefully reach U.S. shores within the next decade. Not only will it create equal ground for men and women when it comes to contraceptives, it will also create an environment where women won’t feel forced to subject themselves to hormones or surgery in order to feel protected against pregnancy.
All of this stress has been placed on women. It’s time that the birth control burden was equally shared.