The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men • Hacker News Board

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#111

Post by dangrossman » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 12:44 AM UTC

maaku wrote: post #107

dangrossman wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that a little much? The procedure sounds identical to a vasectomy except the very last step -- instead of cutting the vas deferens you inject this substance into them.

It's a shot vs. a surgical procedure. It's a world of difference.

As you like to say, RTFA. They are both surgical procedures and the procedures are _identical_: make a hole or cut in the scrotum, pull out the vas deferens. In a vasectomy, you now cut the vas deferens. In a RISUG, you now inject the fluid into the vas deferens. Push the vas deferens back into the scrotum, repeat on the other testicle, and cover the wound. Both procedures can be done through a very small opening that requires no stitches, in a doctor's office, in under half an hour.

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#112

Post by divia » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 12:52 AM UTC

dfc wrote: post #86

Lazare wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, it also lowers sex drive[1], while causing weight gain, cancer[3], and heart problems[4]. For historical reasons IUDs are uncommon in the US. This is unfortunate. They aren't perfect, but they are relatively cheap, extremely reliable, and remarkably safe. Depending on the type, they also have few or no side effects. Worth considering... [1]: This one arguably isn't a health benefit, but in many ways it's h…

This is news to me. I have never heard/read anything that casts hormonal birth control in such a negative light. Do you have any pointers to more information? It has always been my understanding that hormone based birth control was a huge win for women's health...

Read Sex, Lies, and Menopause: http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Lies-Menopause-Shocking-Replacemen...

The book references tons of studies.

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#113

Post by tesseractive » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 12:57 AM UTC

silentscope wrote: post #33

I do see a market with this, but it's got a lot of problems you'd need to navigate. Nothing a smart team couldn't figure out. Most of the time, men trust women when they say they're on birth control. Women get pregnant--a big deal. It's less likely (but not unheard of) that a woman wants to get pregnant and then lies about birth control. Men, on the other hand, would love to not use a condom. And men don't get pregna…

You could also go a different route and seek endorsements from pro athletes known to have a large and expensive number of baby mamas around the country. Market it as the "Player's Club Membership Card." It could become really trendy.

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#114

Post by schiffern » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 12:59 AM UTC

RISUG is indeed a great contraceptive, but when talking about its benefits for HIV we should be incredibly careful.

RISUG isn't a cure-all. Transmission is still possible through microtears and directly through the skin of the glans penis and the meatus. And RISUG does nothing to prevent female->male transmission.

It's far too easy for "RISUG inactivates HIV in some components of semen" to transmute into "It's ok baby, I got a shot that protects me from HIV!"

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#115

Post by schiffern » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 1:02 AM UTC

spydum wrote: post #3

I would be concerned about forgetting to get it redone on year 11.. then surprise! From the sounds of it though, you'd still have the same side effects of a traditional vasectomy: sperm granuloma. So one is mostly permanent (reconnection can happen, though super rare).. and one is only good for a few years? Yeah.. I think I'd wait for the first 10 years to see the efficacy.

It doesn't in langur monkeys: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12826690

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#116

Post by bconway » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 1:04 AM UTC

salsakran wrote: post #70

kisielk wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure why some guys have so many reservations about this, it sounds like a simple and reversible procedure with a quick recovery. I'd get it if it were available in Canada.

Uhm, it involves cutting open your scrotum. The idea that people will casually do this is ... hilarious.

You must be young. Vasectomies are a perfectly normal and routine operation in later life. I'd wager a large percentage (if not a majority) of age 50+ men in the US have them done. It hurts for a weekend, and then it's over, not a big deal. This sounds like a significant improvement over the current procedure.

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#117

Post by silentscope » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 1:08 AM UTC

streptomycin wrote: post #56

ianferrel wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't most non-condom birth control primarily intended for couples? All the other types prevent pregnancy only. Condoms prevent disease as well.

In theory, maybe. In practice, no. Condoms are way out of fashion these days among the young sexually active crowd.

Depending on what you mean by "young," I respectfully disagree. Highschool? Middleschool? College? All of the above? Speaking for myself and the people I know (early twenties, college-educated kids), condoms are pretty common place. A lot more common place, actually, than birth control. But then again, I don't have a large sample size that cuts across socio-economic backgrounds.

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#118

Post by schiffern » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 1:08 AM UTC

Lazare wrote: post #82

dfc wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hormone based birth control for women has ancillary health benefits outside of family planning.

Of course, it also lowers sex drive[1], while causing weight gain, cancer[3], and heart problems[4]. For historical reasons IUDs are uncommon in the US. This is unfortunate. They aren't perfect, but they are relatively cheap, extremely reliable, and remarkably safe. Depending on the type, they also have few or no side effects. Worth considering... [1]: This one arguably isn't a health benefit, but in many ways it's h…

All hormonal contraceptives are not created equal.

Cancer and heart problems are side-effects of estrogen or combination (estrogen + progestin) hormonal contraceptives. Progestin-only contraceptives (which include Implanon, Jadelle, and Mirena) have never been shown to cause cancer or heart problems.

As always, don't look for medical advice from HN.

(dfc was obviously referring to contraceptive treatments for debilitating menstrual pain and irregularity)

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#119

Post by jes5199 » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 1:12 AM UTC

enduser wrote: post #87

Lazare wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, it also lowers sex drive[1], while causing weight gain, cancer[3], and heart problems[4]. For historical reasons IUDs are uncommon in the US. This is unfortunate. They aren't perfect, but they are relatively cheap, extremely reliable, and remarkably safe. Depending on the type, they also have few or no side effects. Worth considering... [1]: This one arguably isn't a health benefit, but in many ways it's h…

I have known several women with non-hormonal IUDs, and they all have reported the side-effect of mild-to-extreme aggravation of menstrual cramping. When the body is trying to clear out, it just doesn't like having a foreign agent that won't budge. No silver bullet.

well, non-hormonal IUDs function by stimulating the uterus to produce hormones (prostaglandins) - So they can actually have more significant side-effects than hormonal IUDs.

Re: The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

#120

Post by electromagnetic » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 1:15 AM UTC

schiffern wrote: post #114

RISUG is indeed a great contraceptive, but when talking about its benefits for HIV we should be incredibly careful . RISUG isn't a cure-all. Transmission is still possible through microtears and directly through the skin of the glans penis and the meatus. And RISUG does nothing to prevent female->male transmission. It's far too easy for "RISUG inactivates HIV in some components of semen" to transmute into "It's ok ba…

Agreed, but spread knowledge of this in Africa where HIV is a big problem, and isn't well understood or cared about (to western standards) and not only could it be a cheap and affordable birth control, but if it reduces the risk in transmission of HIV then its still coming up double.