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The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

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141–150 of 213 posts

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

#141

Post by Cushman »

jason_tko wrote: post #135
pinchyfingers wrote: post #61

omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg Please let this be real. Male birth control is one of the top things that I wish for everyday. The really great thing is that this isn't just a first-world problem. Birth control is obviously a huge issue in developing nations. So, while I can chase the dream of male birth control for purely selfish reasons, to address my privilege problems, I'm at the same time involve…

Did you read about what's involved in the actual procedure...? If you read the steps necessary for the procedure and manage to maintain your enthusiasm, you have my awed and confusion admiration.

...an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia that takes 10 minutes and lasts 10 years? It's hard to imagine how it could be better unless they literally just waved a tricorder over your junk.

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

#142

Post by mahyarm »

schiffern wrote: post #129
enduser wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

>No silver bullet. My partner and I use Implanon, which has no associated cancer or heart risk. See my post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3774010 It's not perfect, but the side-effects are small and it's the most effective form of birth control besides true abstinence (as opposed to "virginity pledges," et al). Works for three years, nothing to remember, no risk of uterine perforation like IUDs, and none of th…

Implanon is hormonal birth control, how does it avoid the general problems of hormonal birth control?

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

#143

Post by schiffern »

jason_tko wrote: post #135
pinchyfingers wrote: post #61

omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg Please let this be real. Male birth control is one of the top things that I wish for everyday. The really great thing is that this isn't just a first-world problem. Birth control is obviously a huge issue in developing nations. So, while I can chase the dream of male birth control for purely selfish reasons, to address my privilege problems, I'm at the same time involve…

Did you read about what's involved in the actual procedure...? If you read the steps necessary for the procedure and manage to maintain your enthusiasm, you have my awed and confusion admiration.

You know that's exactly the same thing that's involved in a vasectomy, right?

Except with a vasectomy you have the risk of chronic testicular pain.

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

#144

Post by mjdwitt »

mahyarm wrote: post #142
schiffern wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>No silver bullet. My partner and I use Implanon, which has no associated cancer or heart risk. See my post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3774010 It's not perfect, but the side-effects are small and it's the most effective form of birth control besides true abstinence (as opposed to "virginity pledges," et al). Works for three years, nothing to remember, no risk of uterine perforation like IUDs, and none of th…

Implanon is hormonal birth control, how does it avoid the general problems of hormonal birth control?

Looks like schiffern answered that an hour ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3774010

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

#145

Post by henryprecheur »

electromagnetic wrote: post #120
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.

That policy is a bit risky. That might diminish the use of other things that reduce significantly the spread of HIV, like condoms. It's still unknown how effective the gel is: maybe 90%, maybe 5%, condoms are 90% effective AFAIK[1].

[1] http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/416

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

#146

Post by dr_ »

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…

female to male transmission rates are really low in general.

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

#147

Post by pjscott »

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.

The incisions are very small, made under local anesthetic, and recovery time should be quick. Doesn't that sound less frightening than hormonal birth control?

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

#148

Post by StavrosK »

Eliezer wrote: post #84
natasham25 wrote: post #54

I've asked my guy friends whether they would get this procedure, and none of them will. Guys expect women to mess with their bodies, but are not willing to make the sacrifice themselves when it comes down to it, even though this is more safe and harmless than pumping your body with hormones every day.

I got a vasectomy, even though I was sad about that, when my primary was reacting poorly to birth control. I wish that this had existed six years ago or that I had known about it. You have the wrong guy friends.

This is unrelated, but I started Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality today and I can't put it down, so thanks!

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

#149

Post by artsrc »

natasham25 wrote: post #54

I've asked my guy friends whether they would get this procedure, and none of them will. Guys expect women to mess with their bodies, but are not willing to make the sacrifice themselves when it comes down to it, even though this is more safe and harmless than pumping your body with hormones every day.

From:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/health/11patient.html

> about 527,000 vasectomies were performed in this country each year.

I have a vasectomy and would have preferred this.

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

#150

Post by baddox »

dr_ wrote: post #146
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…

female to male transmission rates are really low in general.

All sexual transmission rates are pretty "low," if Wikipedia's sources are accurate. Even anal intercourse is under 2%.
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