Do We Need a Male Pill?

The brown bag on Jan 29th, 2013 entitled: "Contraceptive Justice: Why We Need a Male Pill" by Lisa Campo-Engelstein, a professor at the Alden March Bioethics Institute and Department of OBGYN at Albany Medical College, was a fascinating exploration of other possible forms of contraception for men. She discussed reproductive ethics and emerging reproductive technologies, such as freezing eggs and male birth control pills. The initial reaction to this was met with relief, disbelief, and laughter. The large audience was shown that contraception largely falls on the woman and not the man (especially in heterosexual relationships). This is unfair because women often have to place hormones into their bodies and or deal with any side effects that may or may not come along with forms of birth control. However, the main two options for men are just condoms and sterilization. Both of these options have little to no side effects. It is important to know that there are only two popularly known forms for men and a plethora of conception options for women. So the question was posed: what if there was a male contraceptive pill? Some people felt that they were never trust men to take the pill; however, this is a stereotypical response. Not all men are untrustworthy. When you phrase the question to ask: would you trust your bf or male partner to take the pill? Then, the response changes. How do you feel about male contraception?

~Natalie George