It seems that, with the wide array of options and a near certain success rate, we have nearly perfected female birth control—despite the looming threat to the availability of such products, but that's another tale for another day. And yet, other than the condom, there appears to be a dearth of male contraception options on the market. Why is this?
A Women's Duty
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As a society, we've indoctrinated the idea that parenthood, childbearing, and pregnancy prevention fall upon the shoulders of women. It's a woman's responsibility, of course, just as it's a woman's responsibility to clean.
And to cook.
And to raise the children.
And to make sure her husband is sexually satisfied without the unwanted repercussions.
But, haven't we moved past there societal constructs? Women today have more freedom than those of previous generations. We work, we vote, and we make our voices heard. So, why are almost all birth control options geared toward us? After all, it's a two person process.
Perhaps no one's in a hurry to discover contraception options for men because women already have it covered.
Perhaps men don't want to deal with the "potential side effects" of hormonal treatment—side effects women experience every month.
But, perhaps that's not the whole picture.
The Sticky Situation
It turns out, there has been some look into birth control options for men similar to the pill. The problem? Well, it's simply a matter of numbers.
In women, there's only a single egg that needs to be considered. But for men, who produce 1,000 sperm cells every second, there's a much heavier work load. Dealing with that higher productivity is the biggest challenge to the male pill.
Side effects were also somewhat severe among male participants in a study involving an injection-based method, and so that particular study was cut short.
Still another reason for this one-sidedness results from the success of female contraceptives. Companies don't wish to invest money in something that 1) isn't in popular demand and 2) hasn't been shown to be entirely trustworthy.
Women in Control?
I suppose the thing that frustrates me—and many other women—most is the complaint regarding the side effects of the male contraception methods.
Of course, moodiness—and in awful cases, depression—cramping, and general discomfort should be avoided when possible. But, aren't these the same symptoms women have been forced to deal with when taking the pill?
When bringing up the argument of the immense number of male reproductive cells, I see a point. But, protesting the very symptoms that women have been ridiculed for "whining" about seems, to me, exceptionally unfair.
Maybe if men shouldered more of the responsibility of birth control, we'd see more of their involvement in family life, and a greater respect for the struggles of women.