Male Oral Contraceptives

Male birth control has received a lot of media attention of late, as scientists have recently succeeded in preventing sperm production in mice. Though various news sources have referred to this developing technology as "male birth control" or "male contraception," in truth, these kind of pills will be called male oral contraceptives. The "oral" part here is important because, at present, males actually have several methods of non-oral contraception, among them condoms, the "pull-out method" (technically called "coitus interruptus"), vascetomy, and castration (no thank you).

Scientists at Columbia University Medical Center have discovered that the drug being tested on mice, BMS-189453, prevents spermatogenesis, the creation of sperm cells by an adult male's body. Previous male oral contraceptive drugs have had mixed results, many of them resulting in permanent sterilization of male mice. BMS-189453, though, does not seem to cause infertility, and allows regular, healthy sperm production soon after stopping the drug, meaning that men will be able to father children if and when their family planning goals change.

I believe wholeheartedly that we should continue to develop these technologies. One reason why we ought to support the creation of male oral contraceptives for humans is for the affective reason: progress is good. The other reason why I feel we should develop these technologies further, though, is much more multifaceted: the male pill will get men more involved in contraception, meaning couples will have more opportunities for discussion and responsibility-sharing, which are the cornerstones of intimacy.

On the other hand, though, with the inevitable production of male oral contraceptives, we must also be careful to avoid the trap of single-partner contrapception responsibility. Single-partner contraception responsibility is a term I coined to expose the erroneous notion among couples that pregnancy and STI prevention is the obligation of only one partner. Unfortunately, Dr. Joseph Alukal, the director of male reproductive health at NYU's Langone Medical Center, caters to this mental pitfall when he says that "there are plenty of men in committed relationships who choose to take onus of reproductive planning on themselves." This kind of mentality supports inequality among sexual partners by suggesting that something that is both their responsibility is the burden of only one, and attitudes like these are what have been the core obstacles to the sexual liberation and equality movements.

In developing these technologies, we must also be wary of toxicity and side effects. Unfortunately, at present, oral contraceptives taken by females have several side effects, among them an increased likelihood of certain kinds of cancer, depression, and pulmonary embolism. In their report about studies of BMS-189453, ABC News notes that the drug has an unusual history: it was originally developed "as a possible treatment for skin and inflammatory diseases," and that the drug's spermatogenesis-stopping side effect was considered "toxic." Painfully, the lead author of Columbia University Medical Center's study seems not to care much about the possible damages that could affect men, saying, "One company's toxin may be another person's contraceptive." The same comment made about women's health would be considered offensive, and sexism works both ways. Men, just like women, are an advantage to family planning, and further development of male oral contraceptives must take their health into serious consideration.

Though I support further development of these technologies, it is important - vital, even - to focus on how male oral contraceptives will not protect men or their partners from sexually-transmitted infections. Hormonal methods of birth control are very effective at preventing unintended pregnancy, but they are 0% effective at warding against potentially life-threatening STIs like HIV, whose fully-developed disease form kills 1.8 million people per year. Thus, consistent, correct condom use will and must remain the preferred choice of pregnancy and infection control, and further discussion of male oral contraceptives must include this fact.