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Sharing the Load
Lyndsie Bourgon on a man's right to birth control
D,e burden placed on women to take re-
sponsibility for birth control could soon be a
little bit less.
Research in contraception has recently
turned to the development of new birth con-
trol options for men. These methods include
male versions of "the pill", birth control shots,
and hormonal implants.
The majority of male contraceptives
work by increasing the amount of testos-
terone in a man's body, which then disrupts
or blocks the maturation of sperm. Male hor-
monal pills are the closest to being approved
and sold in Europe and North America,
though no options are available as of yet.
The pill does not need to be taken every
day, and can be effective just hours before
sexual intercourse.
Dr. John Grantmyre is an urologist and
professor of urology in the faculty of medi-
cine at Dalhousie University. Dr. Grantmyre
has heard speculation on the development
of these forms of male contraception but has
not heard of any clinical trials.
Dr. Grantmyre speculates that men
might not be totally willing to take these birth
control pills. "Could you trust men to take it?
It is women who suffer the consequences of
men not taking it... I think in some situations it
would work. Would it be endorsed as widely
as the pill for women? I'd be surprised," says
Dr. Grantmyre.
Alternative forms of birth control have re-
cently been tested and used on men in Third
World countries. Dr. Grantmyre explains that
the birth control being used on these men is a
form of testosterone injection (much like the
female Depo-Provera shot) that keeps sperm
counts low.
"The only place I've really seen [male
hormonal contraceptives] used is in the Third
World where overpopulation is a big problem,"
says Dr. Grantmyre. "It has worked but it has
not been widely used."
Dr. Grantmyre also points to the side ef-
fects that often arise with hormonal birth con-
trol such as acne, weight gain, and tender
breasts. "If you had those same things in men,
I think it would [dampen] their enthusiasm a
bit," says Dr. Grantmyre.
The development of male birth control
pills presents another issue when considering
the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
An increase in the amount of men using birth
control pills could lead to less condom use
and a greater risk of STls.
"While [condoms are] fairly widely used,
the consistency of their use now is not great,"
says Dr. Grantmyre. "I have a feeling that con-
dom use tends to be sporadic. But you'd
guess if fewer people use condoms there'd be
more [STls]."
The development of male contraceptives
has had some women cheering for greater
equality. More options for male birth control
mean fewer burdens on women to deal with
birth control alone. It also gives men greater
control over family planning in the future.
Elizabeth McCormick is the director of
the Dalhousie Women's Centre. McCormick
feels that the development of birth control pills
for men is emphasizing too much control on
human sexuality.
"This is nothing new!" says McCormick.
"Are we really creating choices for people to
take better care of themselves in term of their
sexual health, their sexual empowerment,
their sense of identity, and their sense of own-
ership over their reproductive lives? Or are we
just creating more mechanisms to control that
sexuality?"
McCormick suggests that both men and
women should begin to take ownership and
increase their knowledge of their own per-
sonal sexuality.
"Women had more knowledge of their
bodies and sexuality before the pill came
along," says McCormick. ''The whole purpose
of birth control is to liberate us from the idea
of full responsibility."
McCormick understands how both men
and women could see the development of
male birth control pills as a step forward in the
gender equality movement. However, Mc-
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Cormick sees the involvement of science as
limiting human sexuality.
"The pharmaceutical industry is compa-
rable only to the global military machine.
These are hand in hand for a reason," says
McCormick. "To me [the male pill is] yet an-
other product that is created to control people
and more specifically their sexuality.
"If we truly lived in a world where men
and women were equal, then women wouldn't
even need to consider issues such as birth
control and the right to abortion. These would
be non-issues."
The decision to introduce and sell hor-
monal forms of birth control to men is a long
way away. Many pills, shots, and implants are
still undergoing scientific testing and research.
Dr. Grantmyre is unsure as to whether
pills like these will ever be available at drug-
stores. "It's interesting that there hasn't been
a real move forward in this for a long time,
which makes me wonder if the drug compa-
nies don't see a big market in it," he says.
McCormick also does not see a hor-
monal birth control pill as a significant devel-
opment, saying, "It's a product. It is not
designed for people, it is designed for profit."
For more information on recent developments
in male contraceptives, visit:
www.malecontraceptives.org