# Men: would you take an oral contraceptive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685 "2006-11-01T03:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@The\_Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Octagon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/1 "2006-11-01T03:16:16Z")
> **[Meet Eclyse - the amazing zebra crossing](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-464723/Meet-Eclyse--amazing-zebra-crossing.html)** > > It looks as if someone tried to give a zebra a respray. . . then ran out of white paint halfway through the job. Yet the amazing but natural coat belongs to Eclyse the zorse > [@](#): > > Men could soon be able to use a ‘male Pill’ that has no side effects, scientists have revealed. > > The chemical implant acts as a contraceptive but does not change the balance of a man’s sex hormones. > > Scientists have discovered a substance that can temporarily block the development of sperm without altering testosterone levels and without causing unwanted side effects. I sure would. Amidst the article is a poll asking if women would trust a man to take the pill, which I find abhorrent and nonsensical. What man in a committed relationship wouldn’t want this thing, and who would want to impregnate a woman enough to lie about taking it? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/2 "2006-11-01T04:05:56Z")
Don’t need to. I got snipped quite a while ago. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/3 "2006-11-01T04:12:01Z")
Yes, I would take it. And I’d still use a condom since pregnancy isn’t the only concern. I got a bit of a shock a few months ago when a condom slipped off during sex with my girlfriend. At first I was a little freaked out but I looked at my g/f and said “At least you’re using birth control” (she was on the ring or loop or whatever it’s called). “No I’m not” was her response. This resulted in a midnight drive to her house for Plan B and the fact that she stopped using birth control without telling me about it I think hastened my breaking up with her. Right now the choices for a guy on birth control are: a. Condoms. b. Vasectomy. And that’s about it. I’d like some more options! ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/4 "2006-11-01T04:20:24Z")
If they can guarantee me it’s safe, effective and has no long-term effects, why wouldn’t I? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/5 "2006-11-01T04:30:14Z")
Aw, dammit, they’re going to make it an implant or injection. Great - my husband who is having a really hard time finding the nerve to get the snip due to a needle phobia isn’t going to go for that any better. (Yeah, I know I could get snipped instead, but he doesn’t want to put me through that. It’s complicated.) By the way, I would totally trust him to take an oral contraceptive, if there was one available for him. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@The\_Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Octagon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/6 "2006-11-01T04:34:17Z")
aw crap, that’s what i get for not reading the whole article. damn flashy headline ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/7 "2006-11-01T04:45:11Z")
Wait, you mean I might get laid? Then hellmutherfuckinyes I’d take it! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/8 "2006-11-01T05:35:46Z")
[QUOTE=Valgard] Right now the choices for a guy on birth control are: a. Condoms. b. Vasectomy. And that’s about it. I’d like some more options! [/QUOTE] c. We’re both men. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/9 "2006-11-01T07:33:50Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] c. We’re both men. [/QUOTE] In which case accidental pregnancy is probably not too high on your list of concerns 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/10 "2006-11-01T08:08:45Z")
The only oral contraceptive for men I recommend is swallowing. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/11 "2006-11-01T08:20:53Z")
[QUOTE=Valgard] I got a bit of a shock a few months ago when a condom slipped off during sex with my girlfriend. At first I was a little freaked out but I looked at my g/f and said “At least you’re using birth control” (she was on the ring or loop or whatever it’s called). “No I’m not” was her response. [/QUOTE] Whu-ho! Main Entry: bomb·shell Pronunciation: 'bäm-"shel Function: _noun_ 1: See _Valgard_, post #3 ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/12 "2006-11-01T09:01:17Z")
Hell, yes I’d take it. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/13 "2006-11-01T09:23:18Z")
My guess is that most men would say they took it, even if they hadn’t. Show of hands, ladies - you gonna trust a guy who says he took the pill? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/14 "2006-11-01T10:05:37Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] My guess is that most men would say they took it, even if they hadn’t. Show of hands, ladies - you gonna trust a guy who says he took the pill? [/QUOTE] Why the hell not? We guys have to trust ladies who say they took the pill. I’ve seen this discussed before by a lady newspaper columnist who was simultaneously arguing that men would say they took it when they didn’t, and would say they didn’t take it when they did. Again, apparently it’s OK for women to have these exact same options without it being a great social evil, but God forbid that men should level the playing field. I’d take it like a shot (as 'twere). ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/15 "2006-11-01T10:52:36Z")
I would expect that a male birth control pill would be most appealing for men who want to use a back-up method for extra insurance, or for long-term monogamous couples where the female can’t tolerate hormonal birth control herself. In a casual dating situation, no, I would hope that most women would **not** rely on a guy’s word that he is on birth control. Even if the guy wasn’t intentionally being deceptive, he might be at a higher risk of being forgetful and complacent about taking it than a woman would be simply because of the biological reality of how pregnancy affects women much more than it does men. Let’s face it, a man can choose to run away from an unwanted child if he wants to (I’m not trying to sound like a man-basher; I have a lot of respect for fathers who _do_ choose to support their children responsibly). For women, there’s no easy way to just walk away from a pregnancy. Even if the woman decides to have an abortion, most women consider abortion to be an unpleasant experience, to say the least. For that reason, I’d expect that for the average woman the threat of an unplanned pregnancy seems more “real” and the motivation to avoid it is stronger than it is for the average man. So, I would expect that a man would be somewhat less motivated to be careful about taking every pill even if he has completely good intentions. As for the issue of how men have to trust women to take the pill, it _is_ unfair that as things currently stand a man doesn’t have that much control over his own reproduction. Men should definitely be careful about using condoms with a woman who claims to be on birth control unless the relationship is solid and you feel confident the woman is trustworthy. I figure that if you truly don’t want to have a baby, regardless of what gender you are you shouldn’t rely on anyone but yourself to make sure that it doesn’t happen. If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/16 "2006-11-01T11:10:23Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] My guess is that most men would say they took it, even if they hadn’t. Show of hands, ladies - you gonna trust a guy who says he took the pill? [/QUOTE] What reason would a man have to say this? The hope of getting unprotected sex? What the hell is so wrong with both sexes each covering their own ass contraception wise? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/17 "2006-11-01T11:50:48Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] My guess is that most men would say they took it, even if they hadn’t. Show of hands, ladies - you gonna trust a guy who says he took the pill? [/QUOTE] If it were casual sex, I’d still want condoms to be used, just for the possible need for STD prevention. In my current situation with my husband, sure thing I’d trust him, except that I’ve been on the pill myself since age 18 for bad menstrual cramping, so it’d just be extra contraception then. During the first few years or so we did often use condoms too out of worry over getting pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/18 "2006-11-01T11:57:39Z")
Sure I would. Why the hell wouldn’t I? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/19 "2006-11-01T12:53:15Z")
Obsolutely and if one goes on the market I will buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685/20 "2006-11-01T13:15:01Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] c. We’re both men. [/QUOTE] I thought that’s where lawyers came from, though… Huh? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-would-you-take-an-oral-contraceptive/378685.md?page=2)