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Originally Posted by N8ture Girl
I ponder why there hasn’t been drugs developed for men? With the advances in drugs for just about everything, how difficult is it to drug men's little swimmers? Is it really that hard, or is there something else at play here...? |
Before a drug company is going to invest the time and money to develop a drug there has to be a market for it; they need to be certain someone is going to buy it. More than anything I think the reason there has not been a birth control pill for men is that few men would buy it.
The problem of an unwanted pregnancy is not a physical problem for a man; it doesn't happen to his body. For this reason he can more easily dissasociate himself from the issue. A man can walk away from the problem--or attempt to--and can get by with it. He can pay for her abortion if they decide this is the avenue to take. He can marry her and raise their child. He can not marry her and help support their child. But with every one of these choices a man typically will have less responsibilty or time involved in caring for a child. I think men think of preventing pregnancy as something that isn't their responsibility; it's the woman's responsibility, and I agree. Would I like to see men take more responsibility? Sure, but even if the men I dated told me they were taking the pill, I'd be taking the pill myself.
I also think men would see taking a pill that would inactivate their sperm as demasculating. There is an association between being potent and being virile.
I think men (especially younger males) wouldn't be as mindful about taking birth control as women are, and therefore the effectiveness would be decreased.
Men would probably be concerned that if their sperm was "fiddled with" it may cause permanent infertility and they would worry about not being able to conceive when they are ready to have children.
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It seems that it is acceptable in society that women take these drugs and who knows what its doing to our bodies and the environment (evidence shows that elements of the pill is ending up in the water supply), while men just sail along.
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The same concern could be put forth if men were on birth control pills. They pee, just as women do.
The only way I see a birth control pill being accepted by the majority of men--and profitable for drug companies--would be if it came packed with a low-dose Viagra-like drug.
Tell a guy he's going to be harder, last longer, and a more impressive lover and he'll buy it.
LM