Reactions to Male Birth Control Drug

Male birth control isn’t new.

When the Pill was being created in the late 1950s, versions for both men and women were developed and tested on unsuspecting couples in Puerto Rico.  The male drug was ultimately rejected because it caused a slight shrinkage in the male testes. Meanwhile, although eight women died, researchers merely adjusted the female dosage and put it on the market.

Male birth control made a splash again this past November — this time as an injectable. The New York Post and the Independent each shared the news to their Twitter channels, and the reactions are exactly what you’d expect.

As it turns out, men are generally uninterested in putting needles near their genitals. 

Some men seemed put off at the idea they should have any responsibility at all…

…while others had logistical questions, or concerns about side effects.

Women responded with exasperation to the men’s hesitancy — after all, they’ve become accustomed to far more invasive forms of birth control. Besides, some women pointed out, men don’t experience the consequences of risky sex the way women do and aren’t likely to take the responsibility of birth control seriously.

It’s easy to empathize with the frustration of women who have sacrificed so much for sexual “freedom.”

But what if the male instinct is right?

There’s something unsettling about implanting foreign substances into our bodies to stop them from working properly. Men should be repulsed by hormonal contraceptives in any form. Women should feel slighted that they’ve been kept in the dark about better alternatives and convinced that their fertility is a “burden” that falls only on their shoulders.

The beauty of NFP is that it respects the dignity of the human person in a way hormonal contraceptives just don’t.

At CCL, we believe knowledge is power. Knowing our bodies — including our fertility — leads us to embrace them. When we demand the very best for ourselves and our loved ones, the risks associated with hormonal contraceptives are out of the question. NFP means that fertility is the responsibility of the couple, not just one partner. We treat fertility as a power to respect rather than something to drug into submission. It’s 100% organic, ethical, respects the dignity of the human person, and often leads people to better overall health.

Or, if none of that sounds good to you, there’s always injections, implants, and a laundry list of unnecessary side effects.

The choice is yours.

— CCL Staff Member