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New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

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Re: New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

#31

Post by simulate-me »

timmg wrote: post #4

In Western countries and in Asia, fertility rates are pretty (edit: low) these days. I fear they would collapse with the introduction of a male fertility pill. In some sense, maybe that's not bad. The world is probably overpopulated. But if fertility drops too fast it creates real demographics problems in that few young people need to support many old people.

Do we really need more people? America has almost 350 million, and is completely dwarfed by India and China. That seems like plenty of people to me.

Re: New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

#32

Post by micromacrofoot »

slowmotiony wrote: post #10
rjh29 wrote: post #2

I feel like there's a male birth control on the horizon every year for the last ten years. This one hasn't hit human trials yet so no point getting excited.

There is Trestolone which is studied and shown to be very effective (patients had zero sperm in their ejaculate after several months of administering the compound), but there are hormonal side effects similar to testosterone, which kind of explains why it's pretty much only used in the bodybuilding community. The pill in the article is a non-hormonal one, which is interesting

are the side effects really that much worse than what women have to deal with with their birth control? I’ve heard a lot of hormonal horror stories from women on the pill

Re: New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

#35

Post by DuskStar »

simulate-me wrote: post #31
timmg wrote: post #4

In Western countries and in Asia, fertility rates are pretty (edit: low) these days. I fear they would collapse with the introduction of a male fertility pill. In some sense, maybe that's not bad. The world is probably overpopulated. But if fertility drops too fast it creates real demographics problems in that few young people need to support many old people.

Do we really need more people? America has almost 350 million, and is completely dwarfed by India and China. That seems like plenty of people to me.

This depends. Do you want someone to be able to take care of you after you retire? Medical care, that sort of thing?

If so, that means that you need people. People younger than you. People with some sort of societal attachment to you that results in them not just tossing your entire generation into a metaphorical woodchipper, because taking care of old people is a ton of work.

The traditional way to ensure that such a population of younger people exists has been to have children. Importing immigrants might solve the "people younger than you" side of things, but it is yet to be determined if it adequately solves the "societal attachment" side of things.

Re: New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

#36

Post by recuter »

pcthrowaway wrote: post #18
slowmotiony wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is Trestolone which is studied and shown to be very effective (patients had zero sperm in their ejaculate after several months of administering the compound), but there are hormonal side effects similar to testosterone, which kind of explains why it's pretty much only used in the bodybuilding community. The pill in the article is a non-hormonal one, which is interesting

Vasalgel (a reversible injection that prevents your swimmers from making it into the sauce) is another interesting one that has never made it to release for perplexing reasons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversible_inhibition_of_sperm...

This one requires two injections right into the most awkward bit of ye old twig and berries, the first to numb the pain from the second. Afterwards you walk around sore with a swollen scrotum for a week.

Doesn't seem that perplexing. Unless you're into that sort of thing, not that there is anything wrong with that..

Re: New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

#37

Post by igetspam »

pcthrowaway wrote: post #18
slowmotiony wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is Trestolone which is studied and shown to be very effective (patients had zero sperm in their ejaculate after several months of administering the compound), but there are hormonal side effects similar to testosterone, which kind of explains why it's pretty much only used in the bodybuilding community. The pill in the article is a non-hormonal one, which is interesting

Vasalgel (a reversible injection that prevents your swimmers from making it into the sauce) is another interesting one that has never made it to release for perplexing reasons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversible_inhibition_of_sperm...

Injections into the penis are probably a non starter for a lot of people. I had a vasectomy, so I don't have anything to worry about now but I'd choose a pill over a shot any day, no matter how frequent. Also, being able to stop taking a pill whenever I want is a benefit. Had I not already chosen a permanent path, I'd sign up for a trial today.

Re: New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

#38

Post by ada1981 »

It’s kinda wild that women are basically expected to take on all the side effect risk of birth control and no one even questions it unless side effects are actually death (Remember Yaz?).

I’m also curious about how blocking vitamin A doesn’t have side effects - don’t I need vitamin A?

Re: New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

#39

Post by zmgsabst »

everdrive wrote: post #27
Mirioron wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The other strategies are clearly not working though. Birth rates have at best stayed steady or declined.

The rough transition aside, would it be so bad to return to lower population levels? The only thing I'm sad about is that I won't live to see the population decline rather than increase.

Yes — it’s absolutely psychotic to hope for a mass loss of human life and the decline of our species.

There’s no reason to think it would make things better — and many to think a massive population decline would come with a technology regression and stall of our advancement.

I think such ideas are a form of mental illness, often stemming from delusions about the world.

Re: New Male Birth Control Pill Effectively Prevents Pregnancy Without Side Effects

#40

Post by ada1981 »

timmg wrote: post #26
captainmuon wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? That would only be the case if a significant number of pregnancies is unwanted. We should do everything to stop any unwanted pregnancies, and then add incentives and aid for everybody who wants to have kids (e.g. parental leave, free daycare, and so on).

A random google finds this: https://www.brookings.edu/research/preventing-unplanned-preg... > Unintended pregnancies are at an all-time low in the U.S. but still represent about 45 percent of all pregnancies.

Do they tease out unintended from unwanted?

45% is wild, and doubly so that this is an all time low.

I could find a million dollars and it would be unintended but not unwanted.

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