Why Can’t We Just Take A Pill? Contraceptive Methods for Men

Whereas women can take birth control pills, there are other contraceptive methods for men. The contraceptive methods currently available for men are condoms and vasectomy.

Condoms are meant to stop sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg. Vasectomy on the other hand, is a surgical procedure that stops sperm being ejaculated from the penis during sex. As opposed to condoms, vasectomy may be permanent.

Although vasectomy may be permanent, many men choose to undertake this procedure, as according to studies, condoms have approximately 15% failure rate.

Another measure men are taking in order to avoid pregnancies is a “withdrawal”. Withdrawal involves pulling out the penis of the vagina before ejaculating. This method is not always effective, as sperm can be released even before the ejaculation.

But wouldn’t it be much easier if men could just take a birth control pill?

Apparently, researchers and pharmaceutical companies are working on additional contraceptive methods for men.

One of the solution researchers are working on is a hormonal based pill / shot, which will lower the testosterone levels in the body, so the testicles will stop producing healthy sperm. However, lowering the testosterone levels in the body may have side effects, including physical changes, mood swings and lack of sexual desire. Therefore, the future birth control pill for men would need to balance between contraception and men’s health.

To prevent these side effects, some of the experimental pills combine hormones which lower the testosterone levels in the testicles, with synthetic testosterone and progestogens (sex hormone), to maintain the levels of testosterone in the blood.

Would men prefer to take a pill instead of the other contraceptive methods?

On the one hand, taking a pill is simpler than having a vasectomy. However, just like women’s pills, it is expected that men will need to take this pill daily. This adds responsibility on men; responsibility they might not want to take.

In addition, there are men who prefer to use condoms, as it can prevent sexual transmitted diseases (STD). The pill will be an oral contraceptive or be injected to the body, and therefore it cannot prevent STDs.

As was mentioned above, birth control pills for men are being researched and are not yet offered to the public. Therefore, many men in the U.S. choose to have a vasectomy to prevent pregnancies. A substantial number of them wish to reverse vasectomy a few years after the surgery. Wanting another child, loss of a child and family re-planning are the main reasons for men wanting to reverse vasectomy. Many give up their dream of having kids due to high costs and low success rate of the vasectomy reversal procedure.

Here at Sppare.me, we offer a revolutionary, secure and affordable fertility insurance for men having a vasectomy procedure. Men can now freeze and store their healthy sperm from the comfort of their home, using Sppare.me’s home kit, before their vasectomy procedure.

With Sppare.me, you can have a vasectomy and still keep your options open, easily.

To read more about how vasectomy can impact your fertility, click here.

Resources:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/contraception/the-pill/the-pill-for-men

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