Why Do Women Have to Carry the Burden of Contraception?

Since as early as 1600 BC women have been experimenting and cursed with the burden of contraception, and all of the dangerous physical and mental side affects that come with it. In the Ancient World women would go to extreme lengths to avoid pregnancy, including methods using stones, sodium carbonate, honey and a flower known as ‘Queen Anne’s Lace’ (which is still used as a herbal contraceptive method today in India). Since the rise of contraception in Britain in the 19th century, millions of women have faced side effects causing heart attacks, stroke, blood clots, and liver tumours due to hormonal contraceptives.

In the past 50 years there have been dramatic advances in female contraception choices compared to men, with men’s only forms of contraception being condoms and a vasectomy in comparison to over 10 options available to females. As hormonal contraceptives aren’t available to men, they face much fewer side effects when using their choice of contraception. Sure, it is no males fault that their choices of birth control are slim, but the concept of birth control has existed for hundred of years now, so why has the scientific world created multiple options for females and so few for males?

A male contraceptive injection was trialed on 320 healthy men in 2016 and was recorded as 96% effective, as reported by ITV News. Regardless of the high success rates, the trial ended due to numerous side effects such as mood changes, depression, pain at the injection site, and increased libido. When compared to the side effects caused from women contraception methods (headaches, nausea, menstrual cramps, yeast infections, breast tenderness, acne, mood swings, weight gain, decreased libido…) the male contraceptive injection’s side effects don’t seem abnormal or life threatening as they already exist from the female injection.

Recent studies that were heavily reported by the media also claimed that users of ‘the pill’ were more likely to receive a prescription for anti-depressants at a later stage, or to be diagnosed with depression in a hospital. The study made headlines around the world such as "Are YOU on the Pill? You're more likely to be depressed: Women who use contraception are up to 70 per cent more likely to be on antidepressants," and "The Pill has been linked to depression. Why isn't this more of a scandal?".

So, why was the trial discontinued if what was happening to the males already happens to thousands of women worldwide already? This question has stirred scientists and healthcare professionals into researching hormonal and steroid contraceptives for males so that females don’t have to endure more medical and invasive contraceptives than their partners.

In March 2019, American researcher Dr. Christina Wang from The Los Angeles Biomed Research Institute released that their male contraceptive pill appears to be safe while reducing levels of hormones key to sperm production, making it the first hormonal male contraceptive of its time with no major defaults. Due to the safety measures experienced when creating any new medication, Dr. Wang also stated that although the male contraceptive pill is working in the right direction, "safe, reversible hormonal male contraception should be available in about 10 years”.

Even though tests and experimentation's are taking place to create a male contraceptive pill, the fact that it has taken this long for one to be created and that contraceptives that were trialed and tested were terminated because of the same side effects experienced by women, shows a discrepancy between how we feel females have a higher responsibility for sexual implications and childbirth when both parties take place in the action. Hopefully, one day we can live in a society where both females and males can both hold the weight of sexual protection and having choices of contraception equally.