Posted by Rachel Balik to findingDulcinea
Pharmaceutical companies are unwilling to make a push for men’s birth control, and current innovations are a long way from being market-ready.
Scientifically speaking, birth control for men is an imminent possibility, but researchers and doctors involved in developing male contraceptive medications and devices say we’re a long way off from seeing these products on the market. Pharmaceutical companies aren’t making the necessary investments because of a widespread belief that men simply won’t take responsibility for birth control. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” researcher Dr. David Handelsman said, referring to the drug companies’ continued disinterest, and accusing the companies of being out of touch with what people actually want.
Statistics appear to back up Handelsman’s assertion: 55 percent of men polled expressed interest in male birth control. Kirsten Thompson, director of the Male Contraception Coalition, says that even if a small number of men took the drugs, it would be financially rewarding for the companies. She says that the most detrimental factor is the belief that men aren’t responsible enough to take birth control.
A writer at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies says, “the male pill will have a profound sociological impact similar to what happened after the advent of the female birth-control pill.” He argues that men, too, will be empowered by having control over their reproductive health and birth control options.
While a writer at the Feministing blog fiercely criticizes men who might hesitate to take advantage of birth control options, statistics show that a majority of men are in fact willing. The Male Contraceptive Information Project asserts that “any statement that ‘men are not interested in contraception’ is clearly out of date.”
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