The Future of Male Birth Control Is Promising But The Side Effects Have Slowed Further Research

(via science.howstuffworks.com)

Birth control is typically discussed when it comes to women and their use of it. It’s mostly advertised and marketed to women who would like to take extra precaution to lessen their chances of getting pregnant when engaged in sexual activity. There’s also no secret that birth control pills and shots for women can produce some crazy side effects, from weight gain to mood changes.

However, it's very interesting to see all the reports on how drastic the side effects have been for men who have taken the birth control shot for males. While the shot has been proven to be very effective, according to studies and reports, research has been stopped due to side effects that include; depression, mood changes, increased sexual drive, pain, and acne. There has also been limited funding available for research involving male contraceptives.

Birth control in shot or pill form is very common when it comes to distribution to the female population, even with all the side effects, so it’s interesting to see research halted for seeing those same effects in male birth control.

Perhaps studies on birth control in general should be researched more. There’s obviously serious side effects for both parties from injecting the shot. It really makes you think, how safe is birth control for men or women?

However, according to reports, “Despite the side effects of the male birth control shot, more than 75% of participants reported being willing to use this method of contraception at the conclusion of the study”.

 

written by Chandra Meadows for POP ATL