The accelerated study of birth control for men underwent a recent trial that ended in an astounding upset for researchers: too many men dropped out of trials because of side effects associated with the regular use of male birth control.
However, critics and the incredibly large population of women who have been taking birth control for decades now argue that side effects experienced by men in this male birth control study are the same as those experienced by women taking popular FDA-approved forms of hormonal birth control.
Side Effects of Current Birth Control
Women have a wealth of birth control options at their disposal, but none of them are free of side effects.
- Pills – The most commonly employed form of birth control can cause mood swings, acne, depression, weight gain, and more.
- Patch – The patch works similarly to pills without the need to remember to take a pill daily, but it comes with similar side effects.
- Implant – Implants (such as IUDs) are low-maintenance and have few side effects but require invasive surgery for implantation.
- Shot – The shot is only necessary in increments throughout the year, but it still interferes with hormone balance.
- Vaginal Ring – The vaginal ring also comes with the same risk of hormone-based side effects as pills and patches, along with the risk of accidental removal.
- Sponge – The sponge causes no hormonal shifts, but must be used on a strict schedule before intercourse and may be uncomfortable for some women.
Current birth control methods are relatively advanced and continue to develop, but women have borne the risk of side effects to counteract the risk of pregnancy for generations.
Results of the Men’s Trial
The new trial focused on male birth control shots formulated to lower sperm counts. 320 men participated initially and received shots every eight weeks. The experiment was partially controlled by using the male birth control injections on men across the world.
The initial trial had promising results:
- Sperm counts lowered significantly in participants
- Only a few pregnancies occurred during the trial among participating couples
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| Women’s birth control methods, such as the IUD pictured above, can also cause a range of negative side effects. Source: fda.gov |
However, 4.7% of men experienced mood swings, and 2.8% reported depression. One man attempted suicide. Researchers drew the line at the near-suicide and halted the trial to attempt to regroup.
However, the FDA-approved intrauterine device (IUD) Liletta caused 5.2% of women to experience mood swings and 5.4% of women to experience depression in trials. The men’s trial revealed that there is a different standard even among regulatory agencies for male and female birth control.
What’s Next for Male Birth Control
The double standard may have some merit, but there are arguments on both sides. An All Things Considered report pointed out that while women produce one egg per month, men produce millions of sperm every day. The approach to birth control can therefore not be the same by nature.
Male birth control has experienced a setback with the results of the latest trial, but the vocalization of the double-standard for birth control side effects in clinical trials may set researchers back in motion. There are still different hormone measurements and delivery methods to test, but results could take at least ten years to produce a solid form of usable male birth control.
