July 27, 2000

10:05 AM

Birth Control Pills for MenI'm not sure who the target market for this product is, though I'd think that the only women who would trust that a man is truly "on the pill" would be ones who watched him take it every day, so married/cohabitating men only, I suppose. Probably just as well.
posted by Dreama (10 comments total)

if you're not married/cohab then surely you'd be using a condom anyway...

andrew

ps on the other hand, the article doesn't even mention hiv/aids. you do have it over there, don't you? ;-)

posted by andrew cooke at 10:30 AM on July 27, 2000

The birth control pill for women exists so that women can control their own fertility: so they can prevent themselves from getting pregnant when they do not want to get pregnant.

The birth control pill for men will exist for an exactly parallel reason: so that men can control their own fertility and prevent themselves from getting someone pregnant when they do not want to get someone pregnant.

If a woman doesn't want to rely on her partner to take care of birth control, she can take her pill every day and thus rely on herself. Wouldn't it be nice if men had the same option? All a man can do right now is wear a condom or get a vasectomy - not a lot of flexibility there.

The target market for this particular pharmaceutical consists of any man dissatisfied with those choices. I'm getting a little tired of the idea that birth control is all about women, and that men either can't be trusted or won't be interested in controlling their fertility.

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 11:19 AM on July 27, 2000

There might be a very large opportunity for NBA endorsements here.
posted by mikewas at 11:26 AM on July 27, 2000

I'm getting a little tired of the idea that birth control is all about women, and that men either can't be trusted or won't be interested in controlling their fertility.

I soooo want to agree with you Mars, but you have to admit that the woman have a little bit higher stake in the birth control issue than the man does.
posted by daveadams at 12:02 PM on July 27, 2000

Ack! "Has" not "have." Oh well.
posted by daveadams at 12:02 PM on July 27, 2000

you have to admit that the woman have a little bit higher stake in the birth control issue than the man does.

Conceded. :-) Smaller stake does not equal no stake, however, and that's the idea that riles me up.

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 1:22 PM on July 27, 2000

...you have to admit that the woman have a little bit higher stake in the birth control issue than the man does.

I don't know if that's such an accurate statement anymore.

Look at the increasing amount of paternity suits being filed or women deceiving men into having children...

If you ask me, men have every right to guard their right not to procreate against their will.


posted by dgallo at 3:38 PM on July 27, 2000

There's another option besides me getting neutered????
Where do I sign??? Why am I getting 404's on this article???

On the flip side of the so-called "It's a woman's responsibility" argument. What about women who use pregnancy to "trap" a guy?... there's a reason for men to start thinking a little more responsibly there.
posted by CyberPal at 6:09 PM on July 27, 2000

as a woman, i'd have to argue that i DO have a little bit higher stake in the birth control issue than any man does. not to diminish the importance of a man's ablility to have power and control over his own reproduction. however, if i become pregnant, it is MY body that is taken over. if i become pregnant and [for whatever reason] carry to term, it is ME that will be forced to quit school. it is ME that will be expected to breastfeed. etcetcetc.

men have every right to guard their right not to procreate against their will.
agreed. every person should. regardless of gender, age, class, ability, location in the world, education, experience, history, future...

There's another option besides me getting neutered???? Where do I sign???
and umm... hey.. you could, you know, not have sex. or you could.. use a condom and spermicide. but hey... those are just umm... ideas.
posted by raedyn at 5:47 PM on July 28, 2000

I think this is a great option for couples who aren't ready to have a kid, especially if the woman can't take the pill for some reason. Personally, it makes me really sick and so this would be perfect.
posted by apetrie at 9:27 PM on July 29, 2000