It has become almost a right of passage for anyone with a uterus, being prescribed hormonal birth control pills, and yet men still do not have a birth control pill of their own. The first solution doctors offer for nearly every ailment a uterus owner faces is usually hormonal birth control, despite the side effects list being about as long as the Constitution. This concept brings to light a larger issue: why is it the person with the vagina’s job to alter their body with hormone pills in order to prevent pregnancy? Why do men not share this burden?
While birth control is often able to dramatically improve the lives of people suffering from the effects of having a period, the benefits dont always outweigh the risks. The side effects of the hormonal birth control pill include weight gain, acne, mood swings, nausea, depression, and so many more.
People with uteruses generally start taking birth control pills at young ages and then stay on it until they are ready to have kids. The short-term side effects of the pill are widely discussed, but many seem to be in the dark about the alarming long-term side effects like blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes to name just a few. Even if you are in perfect health, the long-term effects of birth control pills will prevail.
An anonymous Sonoma State student said, “I find myself questioning the validity of having birth control, procedures, pills, etc., predominantly for women. The simple biology behind reproduction proves men have more ability to cause pregnancy than a woman.” They went on, “While a man can impregnate many women at high volume, a woman can not produce that many children within that period of time.”
With the risks of female contraceptives becoming more commonly known, more and more uterus owners want to stop taking birth control. The ideal alternative to uterus owners taking birth control pills would be for men to. Recently, there have been trials for a male injectable hormone contraceptive, which could have been amazing for both parties, as it featured less side effects than traditional birth control pills. Unfortunately, the injection was stopped while in the trial stage because it was thought that the risks outweigh the benefits, the risks being those that people with uteruses are already facing everytime they use their birth control pills. So, were the risks actually that bad or were the men in the trials just unable to handle what people with uteruses have been dealing with for decades?
Mia Aponte, a Communications student at SSU, said, “As a result of birth control I have gained weight, been bed ridden for days at a time, experienced painful cramps, and sacrificed the health of my still developing body.” She continued, “In my opinion, there is much to reform in the world of birth control. To deem side effects for men as ‘too extreme’ while still allowing dehumanizing procedures to happen to young girls is a slap in the face.”
Another topic to add to the conversation is how the responsibility of being on birth control falls on women, when women aren’t the ones who can get someone pregnant. Not to mention the unwanted pregnancies that happen out of sexual misconduct and rape.
Jacob Dorn, a Sonoma County resident, said, “I personally am against birth control, obviously not my choice though but I don’t think doctors talk enough about those negative side effects that come along with it.”
It is encouraging that while talking to a variety of people about birth control pills, almost every person knew there were serious risks associated with women using contraceptives. Many women start on birth control at an early age, as recommended by their doctors, but before they are sexually active. However, when researchers began trials of the injection on men, they were stopped because the men complained about mood changes and pain at the injection site. The best solution would be for all men to either have a vasectomy or use their own form of hormonal birth control, if it ever gets past the research phase.
