Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Male Contraception -- an option in the works

All I can say is "Isn't it about time?":

Contraception as an Option for the Man
Published: November 7, 2006, NY Times

Ben Kleinman plans to marry next year, and already he looks forward to starting a family. But he knows, too, that there will come a day when he and his wife do not want more children, and that she may grow weary of shouldering the burden for contraception. To read more, click here...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am glad that men want to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. The focus of medical research on developing male contraception reflects the view that men are accountable for the consequences of sex, and not just women. I am glad the research community views men - as well as women - responsible for certain consequences of sex.

While I think this focus on shared responsibility can lead to more progressive relationships, we must remember that the woman is ultimately the one who will get pregnant and as such, it is important that women do not give up control of their bodies to men. I think male contraception can be valuable for committed partnerships in which partners trust one another and openly discuss contraception, and also for men not in committed relationships who think about the consequences of their actions when they are having casual sex.

But single women should not hand the reigns of contraception over to men -- it is important that women remain in control of their bodies. It would be wonderful if single women and men both independently decide to be agents in preventing unwanted births; But I don't want single women to give up this control just because men have it as well.