Tag Archives: The pill

A male contaceptive pill …

Posted on by
2

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.

Prostate cancer and the pill …

Posted on by
Reply

There is no denying that the contraceptive pill has been a huge boon to women, finally giving them reliable control over their fertility.  It seems though that there may be an unexpected price to be paid.

New Scientist has an article here:

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2011/11/contraceptive-pill-linked-to-p.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

Discussing a recent study that has showed a correlation between use of the contraceptive pill by women and increased incidences of prostate cancer in men in the same countries.

The reason for the correlation isn’t clear at all, but the researchers did have this to say:

“One hypothesis is that the level of pill use in a population gives an indication of the amount of sexual activity, which has previously been linked to prostate cancer (Epidemiology, DOI: 10.1097/00001648-200201000-00012). But Margel and Fleshner didn’t find a correlation between prostate cancer and the use of other contraceptives such as condoms or vaginal barriers, which might also indicate levels of sexual activity.

The pair favours a different hypothesis. They think that the oestrogen-like chemicals which are by-products of metabolism of the pill pass into the urine and ultimately make their way into the water supply.”

Now as a man, I have to say that is just a little bit scary.  Thankfully the majority of the water that I drink is rain water that I catch myself.  This is far from perfect, but it does means that I won’t be increasing my risk of prostate cancer in that way.

This leads me to my main point: I have never liked the idea of women having to take the pill any more than they absolutely need to.  I also know a number of women for whom the pill has nasty side effects.

So, when my partner and I decided some time ago that we didn’t want to have children, my response was to have a vasectomy.  It was quick, simple (done under local anaesthetic), basically painless and completely effective.  It is also much safer than a tubal ligation for a woman – which is a fairly major piece of surgery.

I am told however that many men don’t like the idea.  Well guys, if you have a family and aren’t planning on more children, then here’s a good reason to have The Snip.  If it means that your partner gets to go off the pill, then I am guessing that we could dramatically reduce the consumption of the pill and therefore reduce the oestrogen-like chemicals in our water supply.

Most men love sex and require it in their relationship.  If that’s the case then we should be taking more of the responsibility for contraception in our relationships.  And perhaps doing ourselves a favour into the bargain.

John.