Male Birth Control
 

Some key facts:

- Small doses of testosterone and progestin that will decrease sperm levels
- 98% effective
- Must be taken everyday for about 3 months before it becomes effective (or 1 injection/month for 3 months)
- 50% of men say they would take it

Possible side effects:

- Weight gain (4-10lbs), but in lean muscle mass
- Possible lowering of HDL (good cholesterol)

Will possibly be available early next year.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/hea...ol.for.men.cnn

I'm excited!

As much as I said I'd never take a hormonal birth control, I hate condoms so fucking much at this point that I'll jump on that whenever it makes it to market.

Bye bye 2 hours in hot tub, hello pill!

A while back there was a male birth control shot being investigated...the downside being that it was a large bore needle to each testicle. I would have even done that. I'm all for birth control being the man's responsibility (or shared)...if I were still trying not to create offspring, I'd be all about this. As it is, once we hit our quota, I plan on getting "punched in the nuts with a scalpel" (as one of my friends who's been their refers to getting clipped)

I'd be interested in this since I have zero interest in having kids.

I'd also elect for the vasectomy route like Clavus but Skogafoss doesn't like the idea of it for some reason.

Better you than me!

I also believe birth control is a shared responsibility, but I have my limits. Getting stabbed in the sack is one of them.

I'm sure you don't have to "stabbed in the sack." Women who get the shot don't have to be stabbed in the pussy.

I'm aware. If it's a pill or intermuscular injection, I'm there. I was referring specifically to twistedmosaic's comment about a large bore needle to each testicle - if that's what it takes I'll stick with condoms, thanks.

What's the hot tub got to do with it? Never heard of that..

I think this is a great thing, let's hope it is a huge success and many men take the initiative!

Hot tub is a euphemism. willravel boils his testicles before having sex, every time. He's hardcore like that.

I also eat iron and shit steel, but that's for a digestive thread. :thumbsup:

But yes, keeping your soldiers toasty for over 30 minutes before sex will kill off quite a few sperm, but has no long term effects. Likewise if you're trying to become pregnant, avoid hot tubs and long baths.

** Note: this is the top ten least preventative methods of birth control available on the internet. It falls between saran wrap and a twist tie and beating off 3 times beforehand.**

If the only method of birth control you use is a hot tub, you're an idiot. If you use it along with a condom and the pill? You're just helping the odds. There's no harm in that.

Agreed.

Are we not in a humorous mood today, Mahatma?

Any excuse to soak in a hot tub is a good one :thumbsup:

It wasn't to the testicles, it was to the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm from the testicle to the seminal vesicles. Geez, was I the only one who wasn't giggling their way through Sex Ed? ;)

That wasn't a chemical or hormonal approach, though--it was literally a ball of sticky goo they were plugging the tubes with. Sounded pretty promising, though, with zero side-effects. Far as I know it hasn't made its way out of clinical trials.

The women in my life have been on hormonal birth control for way too long. If I can step up--especially if the side-effects are as mild as are really described here--I'd totally do it. I'd like to see some more longitudinal study work first, though.

The technical term for using a hot tub for birth control is "parenthood".

I don't want people thinking it's entirely useless. It does actually kill off quite a few sperm, which can aid in birth control when combined with a more effective method (like the pill or a condom).

Besides, if I weren't in a humorous mood, why would I have pulled out the old "Geordi LaFroce shooting a laser out of his visor" pic for Halx's eye surgery thread?

Will is right as usual!

Also if you are trying to become pregnant your man needs to avoid using a laptop computer that generates a lot of heat on his lap. There was a study done somewhere that hypothesized that long term use of a laptop computer right on top of the testicles could cause a man to become sterile permanently.

There is an optimal temperature range for the production of sperm. That is why our testicles hang in a sack outside the body because even body temperature is not conducive to sperm production. Also our soldiers are so smart that they retreat back up into our bodies when it gets too cold for them to produce their smart bombs.

Now there's a real man. :thumbsup:

Hmm, but would you do it even if the side effects were not as mild?

And what's to complain about a bore needle in the balls? As if inserting an IUD up a hole the size of your urethra opening isn't at LEAST as painful? And don't get me started about the fun side effects of birth control.

I applaud twistedmosaic for also being a real man and being willing to go through with something like that, in this case.

Yeah, but walking around with heating pad strapped to your crotch with an extension cord is neither an attractive look nor a particularly reliable form of birth control on it's own. Since we're talking about birth control, I think it's important to point that out.

I've heard about this as well, and it alarms me a bit... because ktspktsp and I basically sit around with our laptops for a long time, on a regular basis. Granted, usually we're sitting on a bed (with our legs out in front of us), so the laptop is actually on our thighs, not above our genital area... but it does make me wonder. I guess we'll find out once we start trying to have kids.

Anyone know about the effects of wireless devices/cell phones on reproductive potential?

There was a product (might still exist) made for men who had testicles that ran too "hot", thus killing off all sperm production.

Liquid cooled underwear!

The underwear was equipped with a liquid cooling system which would cool down the testicles to the optimal temperature required to produce sperm. Apparently, many infertility cases were resolved this way.

As for male birth control, I'll stick with condoms. I've never been a fan of any product that changes the body's inner workings, even on women.

I'd just wear a kilt!

okay so what vie learned is that to avoid babies with 100% effectiveness without condom use i need the pill and a laptop.
my girl already has her side covered.

Could be a very reliable form of birth control, how often would someone walking around like that have sex? :D

A few potential risks of testosterone therapy:

• Cause skin reactions
• Cause fluid retention
• Cause baldness
• Cause or aggravate sleep apnea (brief, repeated cessation of breathing during sleep)
• Stimulate noncancerous (benign) growth of the prostate and cause or worsen urinary symptoms
• Stimulate growth of prostate cancer that's already present
• Enlarge breasts (gynecomastia)
• Stimulate growth of breast cancer that's already present
• Cause testicle shrinkage (testicular atrophy)
• Limit sperm production (infertility) [Bingo!]
• Stimulate excess blood production (polycythemia)
• Cause acne

MayoClinic.com

I generally don't like the idea of doing this sort of thing if I'm healthy. I wouldn't mess around with hormones unless I was abnormally low or something.

Do they list the rate at which these risks are common?

No, it's just a summary. (I updated the link in my post.) But I'm sure more information could be dug up.

I've seen what testosterone does to female bodybuilders. It's powerful stuff, even in small doses. Now imagine a long-term therapy and what it could do to you if your testosterone is fine or already high enough.

Bullshit. Your preferred method of birth control does not make you a 'real man,' and this isn't a case of competition. Properly, a man and a woman should work together in order to determine the best possible method for them as a couple, and the man giving 100% so the woman doesn't have to do anything isn't conducive to that. If I were with a partner right now I would be willing to consider taking a hormonal birth control pill, so long as I knew it to be safe and effective. I would not allow someone to stick a needle into my testicles (or vas deferns, or anywhere else in the scrotal area) and I don't think I'm any less of a man for it; it's just not something I'm comfortable with.

As for IUD's, well frankly I'm not in favour of those either. They remind me of medieval torture devices. Regardless, I don't think it's quite correct to compare a woman's cervix to a man's urethra, given that a man will never squeeze a baby out of his johnson.

Since getting cut, I don't have to worry about this sort of thing anymore.

That said, I would have been open to some form of birth control for men.

It would depend. I'm not crazy about the side effects of the "current" pill, but I'd probably put up with at least that level of side-effect.

I've been the designated hand-holder for two IUD insertions. Not pleasant.

I will be leary at first, and would like to see a few other quinea pigs try it before I do, but I've seen what testosterone (anabolic) can do to teenage males, and if done right, can have positive effects in the short term.

If I were the FDA, I would worry about every male from 14-25 wanting this even if they didn't have a girlfriend, just for the 4-10 lbs of lean muscle weight gain and some other benfits. I wonder if doctors would go for this, just like they give girls with acne the pill now?

I agree that it's not a competition, and I never said that the man should do 100% of the birth control duty. However, what if there were no birth control pill for men, and the only method was getting the shot in the balls? And what if your partner could not tolerate hormonal birth control, nor did she want an IUD? If current birth control depended on women only doing things that they were comfortable with, we'd have a much more serious population crisis on our hands.

As for the IUD, whether or not they look like torture devices, they are one of the most effective methods available. Have you seen a cervical opening personally? It's the size of a straw hole. It doesn't stretch like the vaginal opening. It dilates when a woman is going into labor, but not when she's having an IUD inserted, especially if she hasn't had any kids yet. So yes, it is like stuffing a small cactus up a fleshy straw filled with nerves, and there is no room for expansion during that time.

Holy crap. That's it exactly. Except add the part about where it also felt like someone was trying to shove my uterus up through my neck with a pencil. MotherBITCHES that hurt. Ratbastid did a good job holding this chickie's hand. Yikes.

And on topic, as nice as the birth control for men sounds, I'm not a huge fan of it until you show me how well and quickly they can return to normal fertility. Take out my IUD or get me off a pill, and I'm fertile damn near immediately. What kind of time frame would men be looking at?

My 2 cents: sorry to be mean guys, but I would not trust my getting pregnant or not to any guy I'm with. When it comes to the crunch, if I get pregnant he's not the one who's going to carry the baby right? I don't think I'd feel too safe there.

LT, you should see more trustworthy people.

Alright so here is my opinion on this. I think its a very bad idea. I mean, they even say that they don't know the long-term effects it will have on the men. I mean, even most womans birth control gives a lot of women issues so I wouldn't trust the male version. For all you know, you could end up with ball cancer, or with it not working anymore at a more early age than usual, I mean, my fionce has had problems down there many times, so I would never put him through that just to be safe. I would rather be protected. No reason to be messing with your prized gems down there when there is perfectly decent birth control out there for women.

For the one that says they hate condoms, I will have to back you up there. I am a woman and yes I will say they suck. They cut the feeling in half and they make things hurt and tug more. Its no fun. But, if the woman you are with is on a good birth control, then you shouldn't have to worry about the condoms. Me and my man never use them anymore. Once the docs said it was safe to while on B.C. we threw the condoms out.

I am just saying, weigh your risks before you decided to take a birth control guys.

This isn't an either/or situation. Ending up in a situation where "the only method was getting shot in the balls" is so unlikely as to be not worth considering; there are a large variety of available methods out there precisely because everyone's needs or preferences are different.

Once again, I am not in favour of IUDs and would never ask any woman I'm with to get one. If she decided of her own volition that she wanted one, that might be something we'd discuss, but I frankly think they're a bit barbaric and rather unnecessary when there are equally effective and less invasive methods to achieve the same end. I have no intention of arguing about how painful it is; I'm aware that it is very much so. My point was simply that a comparison between a woman's cervix and a man's urethra isn't really accurate and from where I'm sitting seems to be more about shock value than anything else.

I would never expect someone I care about to go through a painful or otherwise unpleasant procedure unless it was necessary. I should similarly hope that she would never expect me to do so either.

Condoms suck. When properly used, however, they are highly effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies as well as being the only available method to prevent disease transmission. This makes them the method of choice for casual encounters. Hormonal birth control for women is effective as long as the woman is responsible about it, and may or may not have unwanted side effects. Some women do react poorly to birth control pills, while others have little or no side effects at all. Thus, hormonal birth control is the preferred method for some other situations, including many long-term monogamous relationships. I can analyse each other method in turn, but you're a smart girl and I don't think you need me to.

Birth control at it's core, like most things, comes down to a cost/benefit decision. Each method has it's own benefits in preventing pregnancy or disease, which balances against it's cost in terms of discomfort, stress or other undesirable effects. What method is best for any given couple, then, will depend largely on that couple's own priorities and how the equation balances out for each one. I sort of thought this was common knowledge, at least around these parts. What I take issue with is the implication that I am somehow inferior to other men based on my own preferences. I doubt you'd let me get away with accusing one of our ladies of not being a 'real woman' because she didn't want to use an IUD or the pill; why should it be appropriate in the other direction? Frankly, the very idea offends me.

Back to the original topic, I would want much more information before I tried something like the pill described. Messing with a dude's testosterone levels can have serious consequences, and I'd want to be at least reasonably certain that by taking this pill I'm not going to end up with testicular cancer or something else. I only have two testicles and I plan on using them some day, so it's in my best interest to make sure I take care of them.

I think this is an interesting idea, it is about time they share the burden. And I mean with hormones, weight gain, mood shifts, etc. all related to birth control. However; I only trust myself when it comes to reproduction and therefore would also take the pill even if they said they were on it.

When the time comes to stop producing mini-Xephs, I will go under the knife and get cut. *shrug* Once your system is through with that, it's 100% effective, only needs to be done once and doesn't have a tendency towards side effects.