Kingston men refuse to take birth control

By Zoe Taylor

Above: A man holds a pill in his hands Photo: Ron Lach on Pexels

A recent survey at Kingston University has found that 60% of straight, cis-gendered men would not take a male contraceptive pill if available. 

Many of the 34 respondents stated a fear of side effects as the reason for not wanting to take one, with others claiming that they didn’t think it was their responsibility.

A contraceptive for men is not commercially available in the United Kingdom but there are several products in clinical trials.

One male student said: “It’s impossible to make a contraceptive that’s safe for men. They either become infertile or risk death.” 

Jordan, who recently graduated from Cardiff University with a Bachelors in Biomedical Science refuted this. He said: “It’s not impossible. There’s been a few medicines trialled over the years, many were considered safe but were cancelled because of lack of funding or interest.”

Jack, a second year student, stated that he would take the contraceptive: “It would just be safer. It would make everything easier, and that way there's less chance of unexpected pregnancies”. 

His only drawback was the possibilities of side effects: “If it's just headaches and general side effects, that'd be fine. But if it starts getting a bit more severe that’s when I get a bit iffy.”

These are issues many women struggle with when taking oral birth control. Florence, a first year student, said: “I had to stop taking it because it messed with my mental health so much.” 

A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2022 found that a third of women experienced side effects such as weight gain, headaches, bloating, nausea, mood changes, and menstrual changes. 

In the same year, 76% of women in the UK between 15 and 49 were on a form of birth control. 

It is harder to make a male birth control due to the way men make sperm, a higher dose of hormones are required than female contraceptives which can pose a threat to health if not properly managed. 

One trial in 1995 by the World Health Organisation found that weekly injections of testosterone were successful in stopping pregnancy. It found minimal side effects and after injections were stopped fertility returned. This wasn’t made into a wide-spread contraceptive as it relied on injections.

Recently, interest has picked back up to make male birth control more accessible. A United States based company has developed a pill made up of androgen and progestin which inhibits testosterone production, reducing a man's fertility. A trial found mild negative side effects such as slight weight gain and reduction in sex drive but overall has been successful. 

Another option started human trails in December 2023 and is a daily pill which is hormone free. It works by blocking the absorption of vitamin A, which has been found to reduce fertility in mice, rats and monkeys. 

To counter a problem that studies have shown with men taking a pill, a gel which is rubbed between the shoulder blades began trials in 2024. The gel is made up of testosterone and a synthetic hormone called Nestorone. It should reduce sperm count and work faster than testosterone alone.