Everyday I take the pill at the same time every night. Ninety-nine percent of the time that works just fine for me - but the other one percent, I wonder about how much responsibility I have had to take for my sexual health, but also for both the lives of me and my partner. After all, an unintended pregnancy would surely be a stressful experience for both him and myself - but at the end of the day, I'm the only person that has control over the situation.
My partner is very supportive, reminding me to take the pill, every once in a while acknowledging the cost and the scheduling and the side effects and the fact that my body is taking the burden for keeping things as they are.
But I want more - and in the near future it seems, I should be able to have it.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina are testing ultrasounds on men as a method of safe, effective and reversible form of birth control. The blast of ultrasound to the testes can stop sperm from producing for up to half a year. If you decided to have children, you would just stop the treatments. The overall cost would be low, it would protect against unintended pregnancies virtually entirely and would be completely reliable and convenient. Thanks to a grant from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this research is made possible and we may finally have a means to throw the reproductive accountability onto men.
I firmly believe that for men to be responsible for birth control is extremely important and may shift the culture for associating pregnancy and reproductive care with only women. Now, men will have a nonsurgical way of walking the walk instead of just supporting their partners and talking the talk. Personally, I think this research is a great step in helping make reproductive care and responsibility a more equal one.
How about it ladies? Would the men in your life be willing to use ultrasound and take the responsibility of using birth control? Or do you think it's the woman's job to make sure she's protecting against pregnancy?