The Sydney Morning Herald has an article that caught my eye online today:

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/of-mice-and-men-male-pill-gets-closer-20120816-24biz.html

At first glance I thought “wow, that’s great”.  But on reflection I am not so sure that the statement in the article:

hormone-free contraceptive drugs for men have been elusive, contributing to high rates of unplanned pregnancies across the world, especially among teenagers.

is accurate or useful.  It implies that if a male contraceptive drug is available then the rates of unwanted pregnancies across the world would drop significantly (especially among teenagers).

Why?  Well, there exists now in the world a form of male contraception that is very cheap, very reliable, widely available, can be used at a moments notice, can be stored for long periods, requires no prescription, is immediately reversible and also protects against the majority of STIs.

It’s called a condom.  And if used consistently and with just a little bit of care, then it is very, very effective.  I know this from personal experience.

So, condoms are easy to use, readily available etc etc.  And yet women have unplanned pregnancies.  How is a male pill, that will require (I assume, since it’s not stated in the article), regular doses, a trip to the doctor for prescriptions, and (lets not forget) honesty of the part of the male going to increase the likelihood of effective contraception?

Frankly I can’t see how.  My guess is that the results will be quite the opposite.  I can hear the refrain now … “don’t worry darling, I’m on the pill, it will be fine”.

I would expect an increase in unplanned pregnancies, as well as a rise in the incidence of STIs.

Lets face it, there is very little incentive for men to care about contraception outside of a stable relationship.  This news makes me think that the money spent on the research would be better spent on education.

John.