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New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

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Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#241
post #222

This is big. This is the future of contraception, because it works, it's incredibly cheap, it has (almost?) no side effects. All current solutions are a joke. Hormone-based contraception feels like something from the middle ages. It has serious side effects, it has "harmless" side effects that aren't even related to the pill anymore after years of intake, but still an annoyance (migraine, headaches, yeast infections,…

Bang on. Me and my partner were planning on me getting a vasectomy in a year, when her implant runs out. We've had to bring that forward a year because one side effect is also a symptom of cancer or polyps. After removal, she experienced a huge lift in energy levels and greater stability of mood. I have 2 children so a vasectomy isn't so bad an idea. Even still, it is an invasive and permanent treatment and I'd prefe…

Plus, unlike women, you/men can bank sperm in case you have need of it later.

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#242
post #215

There is a lot of social commentary on this thread. Unanswered however is, "How will this affect relationships between men and women"? The "MGTOW" crowd laud this development, arguing that once control of fertility is in the hands of men rather than women (a woman can always "forget" to take the pill)... something good, as they define it, will happen. (IANAMGTOW - I am not a MGTOW) In terms of total fertility rate, w…

Condoms exist and men who don't want children already use them. So, I don't think it is going to change all that much.

If they are used, and if they don't break, etc.

Sadly, among wealthy and famous men, there are even cases where the woman uses the contents of the used condom to impregnate herself - and then successfully sues for child support.

Like female BC, this is something that is completely invisible and does not rely on an external or mechanical method of prevention.

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bang on. Me and my partner were planning on me getting a vasectomy in a year, when her implant runs out. We've had to bring that forward a year because one side effect is also a symptom of cancer or polyps. After removal, she experienced a huge lift in energy levels and greater stability of mood. I have 2 children so a vasectomy isn't so bad an idea. Even still, it is an invasive and permanent treatment and I'd prefe…

As a father of two: Said procedure is incredibly harm- and painless. I understand the fear, but I've seen people (even here) spread a lot of FUD about it. If you prefer something else: Sure! If you're merely uneasy about the process: Don't be, it's so common, fast and easy.

Thank you :) Don't get me wrong, I'm not frightened away from it. I have a GP appointment on Tuesday for a referral. I think it'll be some time on the NHS but no doubt less time than this contraceptive becomes available.

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same could be said of female contraception, yet I don't see many people complaining about that. Why do you think that is?

Maybe because the side effects for female contraceptive pill are 99% lower than the ones for the male contraceptive "pill"? http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/30/health/male-birth-control/ I mean, one would think that anyone with the minimum sense of logical thinking would understand that it is way easier to prevent 1 (as one, singular) single egg to get fixated in the uterus during the course of 28 days, than to prevent…

It's certainly obvious with minimal logical thinking. But when you think about it a little more, you realize that such an argument doesn't actually make sense.

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bang on. Me and my partner were planning on me getting a vasectomy in a year, when her implant runs out. We've had to bring that forward a year because one side effect is also a symptom of cancer or polyps. After removal, she experienced a huge lift in energy levels and greater stability of mood. I have 2 children so a vasectomy isn't so bad an idea. Even still, it is an invasive and permanent treatment and I'd prefe…

> We've had to bring that forward a year because one side effect is also a symptom of cancer or polyps. Can you please elaborate on this, or link me something? Without going into too much detail, my partner has an implant, and has been having a cancer scare recently. I would really like to know more about these side effects of the implant, which as you say, are also symptoms of cancer / polyps.

Vaginal bleeding, regular spotting, cramps and fatigue. Above and beyond the irrelugar periods implants cause.

It was only by the doctor's mention that we got the implant removed ASAP so we could see if it was that. If not, we could explore straight away.

Fortunately it was the implant. I'm not so sure about giving false hope as I don't know the ins and outs but it is possible.

The particular cancer is endometrial.

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's adversarial thinking. If the man and woman are in a trusting relationship, the question changes from one of "power" to responsibility. Today, most reversible contraceptive methods (pill, rhythm, IUD, abortion) rely on the woman owning responsibility (one which they may be unwilling or unable to carry out). Male contraception relieves women of that burden.

Male contraception relieves women of that burden You would think so, but... there are women (maybe a lot of them) who think the loss of power over conception would be bad for women [0]. Read the column. I don't know about you, but it gives me a very queasy feeling. Like there is some subtext that this woman believes she should be able to force parenthood on an unwilling partner. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/commen…

The argument in the first paragraph of that article addresses the issue of having to choose between distrusting partners, or being vulnerable to those who lie about using birth control. There's maybe some merit in that, but today, men face the same problem.

The rest of that article is… creepy. That's way more than subtext.

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#247

Should I have children, I see myself walking my teenage son to the clinic to get this done. A rite of passage of sorts. It is difficult to understate the importance of bringing only wanted children into this world, and that both parents agree on it. The cultural importance of this invention will be revealed in time, I hope.

Keep in mind that even though unwanted pregnancies could be a problem giving your teenage son this option will also give him the false impression he's immune to STDs which a condom could have prevented.

STD risks are generally overstated. There's basically three practical categories:

1. Herpes. It's usually on the level of "slightly annoying" rather than catastrophic. Pretty much the biggest downside of having herpes is the obligation to tell sexual partners that you have herpes.

2. Things that die to antibiotics. Syphilis, Chlamydia, etc. You get them, you get sick, you get treatment, you get better.

3. HIV/AIDS. Treatment is much better than it used to be for this, but it's definitely still the scariest one.

Basically, getting tested regularly is probably enough precaution. You'd feel more regret over picking up an STD than putting too much effort into avoiding STDs, so it makes sense that people over-invest in this area (see also: hiring decisions).

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Male contraception relieves women of that burden You would think so, but... there are women (maybe a lot of them) who think the loss of power over conception would be bad for women [0]. Read the column. I don't know about you, but it gives me a very queasy feeling. Like there is some subtext that this woman believes she should be able to force parenthood on an unwilling partner. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/commen…

Contraception isn't a zero sum game. Giving men more contraceptive power doesn't take anything away from women.

You are right, but that's not what the article the GP linked is about. It's based on two (IMO very flawed) arguments, one, that men having the option of birth control forces women to trust them (which may be true, but is a problem faced by men today), and two, the – quite creepy – belief that women should be able to unilaterally decide when a couple starts having offspring. (As if men were not legally beholden to care for their offspring.)

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#249
post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, India is different I think because it's a matter of national importance. I guess the Indian government really has no other option besides forcing the idea of contraceptives onto the population. This is not a bad thing, but I just want to clarify that overpopulation is a very strong motivator, and is something that few countries in the world have to deal with.

Few Western countries. Population is a huge problem in much of Asia. We should all praise the success of Bangladesh in addressing the problem so quickly, they really dodged a bullet there.

Quite few countries, and the common theme isn't really "the west" anymore, but rather the "not too poor to have decent education" :

https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_on_global_population_...

Re: New male contraceptive may be submitted for Indian approval this year

#250
post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's adversarial thinking. If the man and woman are in a trusting relationship, the question changes from one of "power" to responsibility. Today, most reversible contraceptive methods (pill, rhythm, IUD, abortion) rely on the woman owning responsibility (one which they may be unwilling or unable to carry out). Male contraception relieves women of that burden.

The thinking may be adversarial but it's equally valid. That you think you are in a trusting relationship doesn't mean that trust is well-placed or even mutual. It's not an either-or question. Both statements about male contraception are true: it relieves women of the responsibility (by allowing couples to decide to place the burden on the man) but it also gives control to men that previously only women had.

Giving men power of their own birth control does not lessen the power women have, except in the case of coerced trust (i.e., "trust that I have birth control since it's now possible, even though I really don't"), or in the case of wanting the power to deny contraception, which I think many would agree seems unethical, given the legal responsibilities men have to their offspring.
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