Poll for the Men....

[Danustouch]

In the last 50 years, Science has seen great advancements in the realm of birth control methods for women. They are currently working on birth control methods for Men. One of the things which holds this research back, is that many of the pills that they have developed, also inhibit Libido.

For those men out there, who are NOT ready to be a father...and don't wish for this role for themselves...would you be willing to try birth control methods for Men?

[SeekerSandy]

Well, Danustouch, I voted but not sure about my vote. I have never been one of those macho dudes who want to knock up every lady I consorted with, but I was quite a horn dog in my youth. Back then, diminished libido would have been a blessing! Now, though, what I used to do all nite, takes me all nite to do!
Besides, I shoot blanks.
You need maybe another choice or two?:wave:

[Danustouch]

LOL...mebbe. But the issue is whether or not men would be willing to take any birth control, even if it would diminish libido...in other words, would they be willing to take on responsibility, to make sure that they did not get a woman pregnant, even if it meant that their sexual performance would be diminished. I was wild in my younger days, too. And I can remember SEVERAL guys I dated saying they didn't want to use condoms, because it diminished Sensation. Of course, those were the guys I didn't sleep with (lol). So...if those guys wouldn't use CONDOMS....I guess they wouldn't use birth control, if it diminished their drive, for the same reason. So throughout history, birth control has become a WOMANS' responsibility. I was essentially wondering how many men still felt this way, as well.

[widukind]

I voted yes, definately, but I still want to elaborate on my choice. I'm going to limit myself to couples, not groups, and straight couples, since the others can't produce any babies :)
Wherever there's a couple, there's two people. That means, if the woman gets pregnant, it could be either's 'fault'. It has been up to women for a while to prevent pregnancy if they wanted to, through the use of herbs, pills, the calendar method, coitus interruptus, whatever. There has also been a nifty invention that consists of a small tube that can be inserted in a woman's upper arm, which would prevent menstruation (and thus pregnancy) for four years in a row. Side effects do occur (much like the decreased libido with the product here discussed), but it remains a wonderful invention, since a lot of girls I know are frightened to death to become pregnant.
Hence I feel it's a good thing men get to share in the responsibility through a method better than the condom. However, there is a flipside to all of this. If the man becomes the only one in a relationship who takes measures to prevent pregnancy, and the methods he uses fail, then both the woman and the man are stuck with the consequences. Furthermore, in these times where AIDS is a rather big issue, anticonceptionary methods can stimulate promiscuity with some people (not all, of course) which could lead to spreading AIDS faster. But, the latter is a minor issue IMO, since I don't think the effect on people's sexual behavior is that big.
To get back to my point, if a couple wants to use birth control, not the man alone, nor the woman alone should take measures. It is, of course, easy to say men don't have wombs and thus don't need to worry about birth control. Yet this is, IMO, an oversimplification of things. You (at least I) can't honestly say you love someone and then decide it's up to the other person to make sure they don't get pregnant.

EDITED TO ADD:

In fact, now that I reread your post, Danustouch, I'd like to add I'm not a big fan of condoms either. I'll wear them for safety, but I don't like them. But, since I don't have AIDS (at least to my knowledge) or any other sexually transmitted disease, this would be a nice solution. One question though : would you need a perscription as you do for birth control pills? Do you in fact need a perscription for birth control pills in the US?

Slainte,

Widukind

[Danustouch]

Yes, widukind, you do need a prescription for birth control pills. Is it differen't elsewhere?

In the US, you need a prescription for the Diapraghm since it has to be specifically suited to each womans size,

An IUD since it has to be surgically implanted.

Norplant (since it is inserted under your skin, and contains hormones)

Depo Provera (since it again, is intramuscular, a shot, and contains hormones, which could interact with other medications or physical conditions).

And the Pill.

What you DONT need a prescription for, are condoms, both male and female, the sponge, (which for a while, was taken off the american market), spermicidal gels and suppositories, and I think that's it.

[widukind]

I was just wondering... never having lived abroad I don't know much about health care in countries not adjacent to my own.