Disclaimer: terms referring to men and women in this article are used alongside terms like “people with prostates”, and “people who can get pregnant” to be trans inclusive.
From talks with friends, cousins, and even acquaintances, I have been in many conversations about birth control ups and downs. I am grateful that I’ve been surrounded by people who feel comfortable sharing their experiences in order to learn from each other. These conversations though, have all been between women and people who can get pregnant.
There are a lot of options for these people when it comes to birth control. The most commonly known is often called “the pill” which is an easily reversible form of contraception that requires one to take a daily pill, preventing ovulation and changing the mucus levels in the opening of the uterus, which prevent sperm from meeting the egg and beginning a pregnancy.
Amongst the conversations I have had, mention of the copper intrauterine device (IUD) has been frequent, as the small metal T is not a hormonal product, but rather prompts an immune response from the body that ultimately makes uterine egg implantation difficult. The implant, injection, patch, and vaginal ring are hormonal contraceptives that stop the ovaries from releasing an egg by increasing progestogen levels; these methods are reversible and have different maintenance levels, giving a good choice for diverse needs.
If one is confident in their lack of desire for pregnancy or for more pregnancy, then there is the option to be sterilised. The “morning after pill” on the other hand is an emergency contraceptive pill that can stop a pregnancy from developing by preventing an egg being released from the ovaries, but should only be used as the last line of defense. In British Columbia (B.C.), a lot of contraceptives are now covered with national pharmacare funding, and are available to B.C. residents.
“Natural family planning” often refers to one tracking the hormonal cycle and calculating ovulation, though this is the least effective form of birth control. Data from abortion clinics in England and Wales found that a rise in demand for their services has been fuelled by women coming off hormonal contraceptives like the pill and using natural methods instead.
If we take a look at the birth control options for people with prostates, the list is a lot shorter. The practical and effective birth control methods are mainly condoms, thin pouches that cover the penis during sex provide a physical barrier that provides a guard from both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and a vasectomy which is a procedure that stops sperm from being ejaculated during sex by sealing or cutting sperm ducts.
So even if those with prostates do want to take on the responsibility, they don’t have a lot of options available to do so. But why the disparity?
Historically, Margaret Sanger and Katherine McCormick, two of “the pill’s” pioneers, prioritised its development in order to give people more agency and control over their bodies; they didn’t want people who can get pregnant to rely on others to prevent pregnancy. The consequences of an unplanned pregnancy fall more tangibly on the pregnant one, and thus pressure on protection against it has been heavier.
It is not that the research for male birth control hasn’t been done, there’s been birth control for prostate-having people in the works since the 1970s, it just has yet to go very far. There are challenges with anatomy itself; testicles create millions of sperm a day, while the uterus only produces an egg a month. A number of studies have been plagued by side effects, reversibility, and efficiency issues. Though, it is worth mentioning that there have been some recent potential male contraceptives to keep an eye out for in the future, including a contraceptive implant, pill, and gel. In the United States, there is also a Male Contraceptive Initiative which works specifically to help provide funding and advocacy work for male birth control.
Nonetheless, the social pressure and thus funding has just not been there, and isn’t really there, to develop birth control for people with prostates on large scales. I believe that the pressure for these products will need to come from all sides of the conversation to significantly move forward. Across the world and at home, women got birth control by advocating for it, and men will likely have to do the same.
Medical disclaimer: this is not professional advice, do your own research and talk to your doctor before making a decision for your reproductive health.
