Where's the male birth control pill?By Elizabeth Landau

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/07/future.contraceptives.male.pill/index.html

The article discusses how birth control has been focused on the women's anatomy more so than the male's. Women have a variety of ways to prevent pregnancy, such as the pill, patch, IUD and so on. But what about male birth control? Could they have further protection other than abstinence and condoms? Dr. John Amory of University of Washington is quoted as saying, "The joke in the field is: The male pill's been five to 10 years away for the last 30 years". It is medically harder to produce effective contraceptives for men. The article also discusses effectiveness in men (for some reason it was more effective for Chinese men) and how it may be percieved in the public. Would women be able to trust men that they are on birth control? Would there be a rise in STDs?

This article is interesting and catches the interest of sexually active people. It is also interesting because of the sociological effect the male birth control pill might have on society. The article is well sited and refers a lot to its medical studies. As far as the sociological side, the article references to how people reacted to the female birth control pill. The argument is persuasive to people wanting to engage in protected sex. Its also persuasive to femenists not wanting to be the only ones taking precautions.

This article made me feel frustrated, because I've been hearing about male birth control for years. More positively, the article intruiges me because it is scientific and dealing with genetic and hormonal breakthroughs. Personally I would like there to be birth control available to everyone. I feel healthwise, it would be in everyone's best interest to have all medical possibilities available.