Male Birth Control
From LoveToKnow Pregnancy
Male Birth Control
For years, there have been rumors that a male birth control pill would soon be on the market. But, while researchers are working on birth control pills for men, there's no telling when male birth control pills will be available.
Meanwhile, men who want to take responsibility for birth control do have options. A man can choose to wear a condom, which also provides protection against sexually transmitted diseases. If a man is certain he does not want any more children, he can have a vasectomy.
"The Pill" for Men
Birth control pills for women use hormones to disrupt a woman's normal menstrual cycle. Although the woman may still have a period every month, the pill prevents her from ovulating. Ovulation is the release of an egg from a woman's ovary. If no egg is released, she can not become pregnant.
The male birth control pill will probably also be a hormonal method of birth control. But, it will need to work differently. Instead of having monthly cycles, men produce sperm constantly. The pill will need to either stop sperm production or make the sperm unable to fertilize an egg.
How the Pill Might Work
One type of male birth control pill would use testosterone to interfere with production of sperm. Testosterone is made naturally by a man's body. It helps to maintain a man's sex drive, produces his adult sexual characteristics (like a deep voice and facial hair), and is involved in production of sperm. However, doctors have discovered that giving a man extra testosterone can signal his brain to shut down sperm production.
Sperm production can also be decreased by giving an artificial version of a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH is made in the brain. Interfering with natural GnRH production can stop a man's body from making sperm.
Another way male birth control might work is by immobilizing sperm. Sperm cells have long tails which they use to "swim" into a woman's reproductive tract and reach an egg. If the tails can't move, the sperm can't swim. Scientists have isolated a molecule that's vital to tail movement and are now trying to find a way to stop that molecule from working.
There has also been some research into a birth control shot that would work like a vaccine. A man might need to have this shot on a yearly basis.
Potential Problems with Male Birth Control Pills
Experimental male birth control methods have side effects related to the hormonal changes they cause. Some men have reported acne, aggressiveness, mood swings, weight gain, and even impotence. The hormones also seem to cause problems with cholesterol.
Another problem is that male hormonal birth control doesn't start working right away. It can take weeks or months for the man's sperm count to drop low enough to prevent pregnancy. Researchers are working on this problem.
Other Birth Control Methods for Men
Instead of a pill, which a man would have to remember to take every day, other options may be more practical. Testosterone doesn't travel into the bloodstream from the digestive system very well, but it can be absorbed easily if it's given as an injection. Researchers will probably be able to produce a male birth control shot before they come up with a marketable pill. Other possibilities include patches that allow hormones to be absorbed through the skin and implants that could continue to work for a year or more.
Relying on Your Male Partner for Birth Control
It's an age-old story: a woman tells a man she's using birth control, but she isn't really using anything. Then, she gets pregnant and holds him responsible. Unfortunately, if men's birth control pills become a reality, some women may find themselves on the other side of a similar equation. From a woman's perspective, male birth control pills may be a good option only in a committed relationship, when trust between partners is well established.
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Comments
We would be glad to do so if the FDA would ever approve it.
-- Contributed by: PaddyI think men should be put on BC!!
-- Contributed by: cindy looThis page has been accessed 3,279 times. This page was last modified 06:02, 8 April 2006.
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