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This comes up every time male contraceptives come up, it's emotionally compelling but just isn't true. The safety equation for men and women differs vastly. Th
by chownie 5y ago
This comes up every time male contraceptives come up, it's emotionally compelling but just isn't true.
The safety equation for men and women differs vastly. The pill is acceptable at its current safety level because the alternative is pregnancy which can be lethal. Plus the various uses in cycle control, important not just for fertility but also hormone management.
For men there is no downside to not taking the contraceptive, so it must boast a much higher safety profile to be considered. As it stands, the current attempts were either much too dangerous (higher rate of adverse responses than the pill) or too permanent, nothing to do with the fragility of men - perceived or otherwise.
- oneoff786 5y agoThat’s some bullshit reasoning. The risk of pregnancy to the female partner is a clear and obvious externality with the same level of risk. The pill can wreck women’s hormonal cycles. It’s hardly a given that it will “control” them.
- A_non_e-moose 5y ago> The pill can wreck women’s hormonal cycles. It’s hardly a given that it will “control” them. One could also say the pill can control women's hormonal cycles. It's hardly a given that it will "wreck" them. Thankfully the pill is one of the many female contraceptive choices.
- lots2learn 5y agoThe pill is used by OBGYNs to treat irregular periods with some women with PCOS.
- oneoff786 5y agoIf you’re comfortable saying that then a pill that neuters testosterone can also control men’s hormonal cycles.
- A_non_e-moose 5y agoYour sentence is illogical and reveals a lack of understand for the underlying biological processes. The women's pill emulates and controls an existing hormonal cycle that naturally regulates their fertility. There is no such natural hormonal cycle for men, that regulates their fertility. If I saw some technical similarities between those two processes I would not oppose hormonal control pills for men, but the male and female bodies work differently.
- oneoff786 5y agoThere are absolutely hormonal cycles for men. They’re not as apparent as the menstrual cycle, but they’re there, and we need not fixate on the word “cycle” either. Hormonal birth control for males exists. Usually by dropping testosterone which isn’t a great idea. My point is not that hormonal treatments for men is advisable but that there are non trivial consequences for both genders.
- A_non_e-moose 5y agoSorry for the double post but I've just noticed another top level thread that you started before this reply and quoting you: > A hormonal approach for men would probably go very poorly. I would have liked to continue a discussion, but it seems like you actually understood the problem but pretend not to, in order to troll someone.
- olliej 5y agoWhat are you talking about? the pill can have severe health consequences, it is absolutely not harmless. The pill also doesn't necessarily work for cycle control - and frequently has the opposite effect - and the majority of women already have reasonably regularly spaced periods. "For men there is no downside to not taking the contraceptive," at least we're in agreement here that the entirety of the risk is placed on women, for whom requiring medication with major detrimental side effects is acceptable. Let's be very clear though, your comparison to the health risks of being pregnant is at best irrelevant: if the parties involved are using some form of birth control it is reasonable to assume that the goal is not to have a child. In which case it is incorrect to be comparing the risk of pregnancy with the risk of hormonal birth control. The correct comparison is between hormonal (or similar) birth control, and other forms of contraception, just as it should be in men. However as the comments in this thread indicate, all the risks that are present in women's hormonal birth control are considered too dangerous to be prescribed to men.