MSD

If there's an option to do a pill for a bit to check for side effects then switch to the shot, I'll do it once it's on the market for a year or so. I'm not planning to have kids any time soon and this combined with a woman being on the pill (or this plus a condom if it's not a long-term thing) sounds like a pretty good insurance policy.
They emit non-ionizing radiation at very low power and cannot produce any effects in the human body beyond a rise in temperature barely measurable with lab instruments.
I don't give a shit about what it does to my sperm production, I want a pair for summer wear as long as they aren't too bulky to fit under snug jeans.
They emit non-ionizing radiation at very low power and cannot produce any effects in the human body beyond a rise in temperature barely measurable with lab instruments.
I don't give a shit about what it does to my sperm production, I want a pair for summer wear as long as they aren't too bulky to fit under snug jeans.

abaya

Look man, we're pretty much in agreement here. Where is all the hostility coming from? Once again, my intention was not to make this into some competition, but to praise the guys who would be willing to do any form of male birth control that was safe and available to them, period. Yes, I consider that to be a praiseworthy stance. Did I say personally to anyone that they were not a "real man?" No, and certainly did not say it to you (you seem to have taken it rather personally). I did not accuse anyone of anything, so I perceive that you read a bit more hostility in my tone than I intended (and believe me, if I'm intending hostility, I'll be a lot more clear and direct about it--you know that!).

And you know what? If the roles were switched--(truly switched, which can only be a hypothetical situation)--where the man was the only one with access to (often experimental) hormonal BC for the last 40 years, and there was no form available for women--and if the man had been going through all kinds of hell to try all different kinds of BC, and then suddenly a brand new, safe, effective method (albeit painful) became available for the woman--and if the woman was opposed to the idea of getting the BC simply on the basis of being uncomfortable (after everything the guy had already gone through on his side of things)--you better believe I would praise another woman who said, "Sure thing, I'd be willing to give any form of birth control a try, after all the shit that my man has gone through for both of us." Would I attack a woman for saying it was uncomfortable and she didn't want to do it? No. But I would certainly praise someone for stepping up to her responsibility as a female, if she suddenly had access to BC and could take some of that burden off of her man, regardless of the cost to her comfort level.

So no, there is no double standard in my mind--IF the same situation were to actually exist, in every aspect, with opposite genders. Hope that's clear to you now. As for the comparison between an undilated cervix and a male urethra? It was not for intention of "shock value"--the male urethra was the closest thing I could think of, in the genital vicinity, that is shaped like a thin straw, with sensitive nerve endings, that sometimes gets things shoved up it in uncomfortable ways. I don't really think it's that far off to see the parallel, but each to their own.

If this post hasn't settled the issue, I don't see how this debate will really go anywhere.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

blahblah454

Male birth control would be awesome. Seeing as I get every woman I am with (I do it as well) tested before we really start anything the diseases are not a problem. And condoms are just brutal.

And I read somewhere that the reason testicles are outside the body is because they only produce sperm below body temperature. So that coincides with wills hot tub thing, just jack off then go in the tub for an hour.

ratbastid

Yes, and if you use that as your only method of birth control, start investing in Pampers now.

Not that I'm saying you're saying that--I'm clarifying for any lurkers on this thread who think they've just been informed of a simple and failsafe way to stay non-parents.

blahblah454

The only 100% fool proof way of not having kids is not having sex. Simple as that.

Willravel

It's like the third or fourth warning. If they've not gotten it by now, they're probably parents.

ratbastid

Yeah, I just feel a certain duty to debunk it anytime it gets hinted at as reliable.

Martian

Your position seems to be based on the premise that birth control has historically and traditionally been a woman's responsibility. This is, at it's core, what I'm taking issue with, as I don't think it's accurate. Women having been using hormonal birth control for longer, but hormonal birth control is not the only (nor even the most effective) form of birth control available. It is and should be a shared responsibility, and your statement that real men take a shot to the scrote for their women carries with it the implication that any one who does not do so is not a real man. I don't like being judged to be less of a person based on my choice in matters so personal as this, and I see no benefit to risking my health or happiness on some new and untested method when the tried and true ones are readily available.

I do agree, however, that further discussion of this is not likely to be productive. We may just have to agree to leave it at a difference of opinion.

This is true, but using it as a basis to argue against birth control is a bit like arguing 'I could be killed walking down the street, and therefore there's no reason why I shouldn't drive 150 mph on public roads.' That there's always a risk does not negate the concept of risk management.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

blahblah454

Read the post above that! I am all for male birth control! I think this is awesome.

MSD

ratbastid, protector of the idiots and savior of the morons.

Willravel

MSD, keeper of the protector of the idiots.

abaya

I'll just finish by saying that I think we have had a miscommunication somewhere, because essentially we do agree. No, I do not think that women have been 100% in charge of BC and men 0%. However, I do think women *usually* bear *most* of the responsibility for birth control, and ALL of the responsibility for hormonal BC, at least as of the options right now. Am I wrong in that? We've got condoms, vasectomies, and pulling out as options for male birth control. None of those are hormonal, and thus none of them have systemic, body-wide effects on the person using them. Vasectomies are not reversible, as far as I know. Withdrawal is not particularly effective. So condoms are pretty much it for the average male, and even those have a noticeable failure rate. Am I missing something about male birth control options that I didn't know about before?

Also, I still did not say that "real men take a shot to the scrote." I said that a man who is *willing* to do that, is a "real man" in my book, just because they are willing to do anything to shoulder MORE of the burden than most men have had to do in terms of BC. I don't know if we're just quibbling over semantics at this point, but honestly, I just think it's admirable that a guy would be willing to do whatever he could to help out, beyond getting snipped (which is permanent, and therefore not good for most young couples who eventually want kids), without letting the idea of discomfort get in the way. I am talking about hypothetical, FUTURE forms of tested, safe, proven male birth control, btw... not the sketchy ones that are currently out, which I would never advocate any man doing, if it was not safe/proven/etc. But if getting a shot in the balls is the only form of male birth control available, in the future, and it goes ALONG with the woman keeping up her current form of BC... well heck, two thumbs up to both of them.

Anyway, I'm tired now and don't feel like discussing it further. I still think this was a miscommunication, and that essentially we agree.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

MSD

Usually I say that idiocy should be a matter of natural selection, but not when idiocy might result in idiots with kids.

Baraka_Guru

willravel, patron saint of the keeper of the protector of the idiots.

For some reason, I picture your Latin saintly name as being Testis. Which is somehow related to this thread.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

ratbastid

Baraka_Guru, pointer-outer of the patron saint of the keeper of the protector of the idiots.

hooray for off-topic fun!

Jenna

I see where you're coming from.

So many women take hormonal birth control, and we have a lot of side affects too. So for a man to say "Too many side affects" bothers me in a way.

JStrider

I'm pretty interested in male birth control.

I would actually prefer something more along the lines of the shot in the vas differens, no side effects and just a few moments of pain and your good for a long time. Why meddle with hormones if theres other options available.

now since that option doesnt appear to be coming available in the near future I'd be willing to take the hormonal ones in the meantime.

__________________
-=JStrider=-

~Clatto Verata Nicto

little_tippler

I guess. Heh. *shrug*

You may be right, patron saint of the keeper of the protector of the idiots.

__________________
Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

Fernando Pessoa, 1918

Hallucinajenn

From the side effects that were listed above, I don't think I'd really like my man taking the male BC pill. Yeah, female BC does have a lot of bad side effects, but I'd rather try other methods on my own to protect the both of us instead of just saying that I have "carried the burden" this whole time and that it's time for my guy to "man up" in other words and take something harmful to his health. I had the non-hormonal copper IUD inserted and love it. 10yrs and I don't have to worry about babies if I don't want to and neither does my guy. I recommend it, but of course it comes down to everyone's comfort ability with different methods. I wouldn't judge someone because they chose to go a different route. Male or Female. Just do what makes YOU comfortable.

I have to back up the IUD for a minute. (aka "torture device") Just want to get this out there for any females just surfing the web and such.

I had an IUD inserted after I found out that I couldn't really take anything else other than POP's (progesterone only pills) considering I have high blood pressure and having any BC with Estrogen in it could kill me. POP's need to be taken 100% on time every single day... I don't have a good memory, and even with taking them the recommended way, they are only about 97% effective. I have one child already and don't plan on having anymore anytime soon... so the IUD was a good choice. Every woman is different so yeah, there are going to be horror stories. There are with every method. (even with sterilization) I get light spotting sometimes and cramping, but it's not something I can't handle.

Having the IUD inserted was about 30 seconds worth of an intense labor pain and a total of 10min of feeling real uncomfortable. The 2-3 days following that were heavy cramping pains... after that, everything is great. I'd definitely go through a small amount of horrid pain by getting the torture device inserted than having a baby that I don't want because I forgot to take my pills on time. Medically, if having the IUD put in is your best option, then I say it's worth the try ladies. Just remember we are all different so results are not always the same.

Hope I helped... in some way. I'm new to the forum discussions!

Iliftrocks

Thanks for this. My girlfriend is considering the IUD, and I would like her to know what she's in for if she gets it. She's on the pill right now, and doesn't seem to be having side-effects, but she is looking at the costs of the pills, about $95 a month, or the IUD insert, $200, for however long that lasts. I just don't want her to choose something that is going to hurt her too much, as she's been through enough, what with chemotherapy for over a year, that's just ended, and all. The main reason she's on birth control is that the doctors said she shouldn't even try to have a baby, as it is way to risky for her....

I would gladly look into this treatment for men. How bad could it be?

__________________
bill hicks - "I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out."

samcol

i agree condoms fucking suck

__________________
It's time for the president to hand over his nobel peace prize.

Halanna

I think it's fantastic. I have a 16 year old son. Now if he was a girl, I could go to the doctor and put her on the pill. All I can do with my son is repeat the mantra, always wear a condom, always wear a condom . . .

STD's aside, the ability to protect our son's would be nice too.

lostgirl

I have had an IUD for 3 years and I love it. It didn't hurt that much when I got it, not as bad as Hallucinajenn's experience. The pain felt like a quick sharp poke in the uterus, no more than 3 seconds. My periods are pretty much normal, sometimes they are slightly heavier, but not much.

I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have never had such reliable worry free birth control. I have tried everything from Depo to the pill and the IUD is by far the best.

__________________
We're about to go through the crucible, but we'll come out the other side.
We always arise from our own ashes. Everything returns later in its changed form. - Children of Dune

Hallucinajenn

If the BC is too costly, which I agree that $95 a month is a lot, then the best option in that case would be the IUD for a one time fee and depending on which one out of the 2 that she got it would protect her for 5 or 10yrs. I have the copper IUD that wont need to be removed until 2019 if I chose to keep it that long.

Now with her particular situation I'd say that it would be best if she and her Dr. talked about it to see if it is a good decision. It definitely has made things a lot easier for me and from what I've read, a lot of other women out there as well. Everyone experiences it differently, but once that pain is over, your set for quite some time. Her Dr. might not recommend the IUD though because she hasn't had children. That's another issue that I've seen... some Dr's wont approve it, some do.

Good luck with everything though, keep us posted!

To get more info on IUD stories you can also just type in "IUD" in the search bar up there to get more posts on other experiences. Hope that helps!!

__________________
My life is one of those 'you had to be there' jokes.

Iliftrocks

Thanks for the info. She's already been approved by her doctor. She's had some complications that make it a better option than no BC at all.

__________________
bill hicks - "I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out."

MSD

Even with the risk of STDs and the fact that you want the best for your son, if he gets an STD, it's his problem. If he knocks up some girl who's opposed to abortion, it will be your problem for years to come.

curiousbear

apart from killing sperms, I heard it will hurt sperm production too

ASU2003

Science Invented A Birth Control Shot For Men, So Why Does Nobody Seem To Care? - Healthy Living on Shine

(NSFW video of procedure)
The Revolutionary New Birth Control Method for Men | Magazine

This is an update to this topic, it looks like it might hold some promise.

Too bad he sold the International rights to it. What would cost $10 in India will probably cost $1000 in the US now...

The only thing is they said it is reversible, but has it been tested yet? Do you need to get that section of Vas Deferens tubing removed and stitched back together again? And I guess there isn't much chance of the gel being expelled, but I would be concerned about it.

chinese crested

Go live under a tetras mast. Scientific studies on dogs bollox point to it being best to stay away. So if you dont want kids, live under one and your sperm will die - dont know about cancer - think thats an added gift.

Ultrabum

When a man has a temporary vasectomy and decides he wants it reversed they inject a solvent into the vas to dissolve the gel. It then gets naturally excreted. Presumably next time he ejaculates.


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kutulu

No f'n way would I consider this until it has gone through at least a decade of use by other people. Let them get the cancer and long term side effects first, not me. It might be ready by the time my son is ready for birth control methods.

Granted, I do have three kids but pulling out was pretty damn effective for us. It has worked for more than 10 years. None of our kids were conceived by failures to pull out, they all happened when a conscious choice not to pull out was made.

ASU2003

I agree that medical testing will have to be done, including reversal and monitoring for side effects, but it seems very similar to the VasClip method. I would have to assume that it is safer than birth control pills and other chemical/hormone BC methods.

Including this other new one that wipes out Vitamin A in men...
Now "He" Can Take the Pill | Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross

Ultrabum

You're brave. I just wouldn't trust coitus interuptus.