Male Birth Control Side Effects Force Study To End
Let's get one thing straight: birth control is a responsibility that should fall on both partners, regardless of gender. While there are plenty of methods for women to practice safe sex, men are stuck with only a couple of options: condoms and pulling out.
A new study co-sponsored by the United Nations tested the effectiveness of a male birth control shot. The men in the study, aged 18-45, all had a normal sperm count at the start and were injected every 8 weeks with a synthetic form of testosterone and a derivative of female hormones progesterone and estrogen.
Unfortunately, the study had to cancel earlier than anticipated. While the shot was effective in that it was an effective method of birth control, it triggered scary side effects, like depression.
Here's where things get testy. According to Indiana University Bloomington biology professor Elisabeth Lloyd, who is unaffiliated with the study, the effects are similar to recent studies performed on women who take oral contraceptives.
"Twenty percent or 30% of the women who take oral birth control pills experience depression and have to take medication for it. So the difference just struck me," Lloyd explained. "They terminated this study once it showed 3% depression for the men."
Science: sexist as ever.
