High Time Is Now: Pregnancy & The Male Birth Control Pill

Contrary to pregnancy test advertisements, not everyone rejoices over a positive result. For some, pregnancy is a future of fear, pain, and unwanted motherhood. And while sexual intercourse and the possibility of a pregnancy lies with both the individuals involved, the onus to prevent it always lies with those with a uterus.

Of the 30 days in a month, people with uteruses are fertile for a week or so. Those with testes, however, are fertile on all days. So the question of containing fertility, for long, has been misplaced. Birth control comes in various forms –– hormonal pills, Intra-Uterine Devices (IUDs), tubectomies (more invasive than a vasectomy), among more –– all targeted to biological females.

In addition to an agonising week each month (thank you, menstruation), the stress of birth control is overwhelming for many. The side-effects pool is always teeming with acne, weight gain, mood swings, changes to menstrual cycle, mental health issues, and more, which should only lead us to believe those who use them when they say, ‘It is not easy’.

The possibility of a male birth control method, a non-hormonal oral pill created by a team at the University of Minnesota is promising. The mechanism targets the prevention of proteins binding to Vitamin A, which is crucial in fertility. Post testing in mice, it revealed a 99 per cent efficiency with no recorded side-effects. The fertility also seems to restore to normal levels on discontinuing the pill. Human trials will begin later this year, following which it can be approved.

Prevention of pregnancy is not a one-sided conversation. Responsibilities and care has to be taken on both ends. With far less complications and implications, a male contraceptive is highly required.

People with no uteruses do not suffer the consequences of pregnancy –– the physical and mental trauma of an unwanted pregnancy is unimaginable to most. And so, the fact that uterus-owners should be accountable for failure and also suffer the consequences of trying to be successful is far more than unbalanced.

In India, however, where misogyny flourishes and the idea of having a man in this position will come as a shock, the reception of this scientific breakthrough is unclear.

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