A few weeks ago, I came across an article that took up a study from 2016, where the men in 266 heterosexual couples tested injecting contraceptives for a year.
The result? The contraceptive was found to be 96 percent effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies. Out of 100 users, 1,57 people became pregnant - the same result as for the contraceptives women take to prevent pregnancy. Unfortunately, side effects occurred on the contraceptive such as depression, acne and increased libido, which led to 20 men withdrawing from the study and the study being abruptly terminated. The contraceptive has not been made available to the public.
Women are often expected to take responsibility for contraception. Ever since 1960, when birth control pills for women were invented by Gregory Goodwin Pincus and Carl Djerssi, the burden of responsibility for protected sex has hung on women. But it takes two people for reproduction to take place - not one.
Then the responsibility for contraception between the sexes should be evenly distributed. The reason why this is not reflected in reality is due to the existing patriarchal structures. Structures in a society where men have power and women to a greater or lesser extent are excluded from high positions of power. Structures that value men's lives over women, where women as carriers of children are responsible for preventing unwanted pregnancies. Institutions maintain this oppression even today by not making men's contraceptives available to the public. Studies from Cancer Research UK show that the use of birth control pills increases the risks of cervical and breast cancer. Why should women have to go through a lot of pain and be at a higher risk of getting cervical cancer at the expense of having protected sex and value men's comfort over theirs? This must be changed as this is an unfair and dangerous oppressive norm and has no place in the twentieth century.
The groundbreaking contraceptive for men could make the responsibility more equal. In addition, this will achieve many objectives in Agenda 2030, in particular Objective 3, which ensures that everyone can live a healthy life and work for the well - being of all people of all ages. This is a serious problem that the international community must address.
This is a chronicle. The author is responsible for analysis and opinions in the text.
Do you also want to write a column for Development magazine? Contact us at opinion@fuf.se