Selected articles about male contraception

Salon: "Are men too incompetent to use the male pill? If you believe in nasty stereotypes, it would appear so" by Kate Harding (January 2010)
"Over at Gawker, Ravi Somaiya has written a conveniently bullet-pointed 'reminder' of why a male contraceptive pill is 'an appalling notion.' ...My greatest objection to Somaiya's arguments is that they're so astoundingly insulting to men... but it bears examination anyway, because it wouldn't work on any level if the damaging stereotypes it's based on weren't all too familiar."

Sydney Morning Herald: "It’s hip to get the snip" by Simon Webster (September 2008)
A spirited Australian take on male contraception and the alternatives under development. Are men interested in contraception and willing to contribute? Points out that 1 in 3 Australian men in their 40s and 50s has gotten a vasectomy, and gives the credit to "some fairly good education and some assertive Australian women!… Only one in six Americans over 35 has had the snip, but single 20-something American men are turning to the operation… Social analysts say this is because getting a chick pregnant would, like, totally not rock, dude… While men taking on responsibility for contraception is admirable, vasectomies are not always easy to reverse, and young men's scrotums being punctured left, right and centre like party balloons is not an ideal state of affairs."

Times Online (London): "Sperm warfare" by Liz Hollis (September 2008)
Detailed piece on male contraception research describes hormonal methods, the Vassonic device, the IVD, RISUG, ultrasound, and HIFU. Misses a couple of depressing facts – that HIFU nonsurgical sterilization is stalled due to lack of funding, and the American IVD design is missing in action – but clearly summarizes stumbling blocks. The comments offer an interesting glimpse of public opinion on these emerging male contraceptive methods.

Columbia News Service & national papers: "A Pill for men? Scientists develop new ways for guys to control their fertility" by Amy Crawford (May 2008)
A well-researched piece covering the promising retinoic acid receptor antagonist research at Columbia University, and clarifying the struggles faced by hormonal researchers — in addition to mentioning suspensories, RISUG, and the IVD.

The Washington Post: "Male Contraception: Progress Slow but Steady" by Kathleen Doheny (April 2008)
Interviews Dr. Ronald Swerdloff at UCLA and MCIP's director Elaine Lissner about why big pharma dropped out of this research, and what is needed to get it moving faster.

U.S. News & World Report: "Should men care that male birth control options are languishing?" by Adam Voiland (March 2008)
US News & World Report blogger and columnist writes a thoughtful piece: if the hormonal male contraception "breakthrough" reported in the press that week is really more of an evolutionary step than a breakthrough, what else is out there that’s close to ready? Can men be selective about the type of contraceptive they choose to use without earning women’s scorn? Includes brief survey.

RH Reality Check blog: "The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations" by Amanda Marcotte (February 2008)
Columnist doesn't buy that research is slow because men aren't interested or can't be trusted. “To understand why men might not be that eager to take a birth control pill, we're left with a set of generalizations and stereotypes, many of which are unfair to a large percentage of men… Ever notice how this sitcom stereotype doesn't stretch to include the main part of the day where both men and women have to be on the ball, keep their appointments, and just generally display responsibility? You know, work?” Reader comments illustrate the demand.

 

News article archive

Sydney Morning Herald: "Contraception: Too old for condoms?" by Samantha Brett (November 2007)
Are blokes in Australia interested in the subject of male contraception? You bet! This short opinion piece on attitudes towards vasectomy and a potential "male Pill" had received a whopping 329 comments at last count, and they make for enlightening reading on the range of human experience and attitudes (more enlightening than the original article, which doesn't convey the pros and cons of vasectomy or a male Pill particularly accurately).

Seattle Times: "Men on 'the pill'? Doctors say it's no dream" by Carol Ostrom (September 2007)
Seattle's largest daily paper featured the "Future of Male Contraception" conference in a well-researched and largely accurate article. Focuses on attitudes and hormonal approaches, but "not all researchers are putting their eggs in the hormone basket." Ends with brief mentions of the IVD (and reversibility questions), the RISUG clinical trial, and heat treatments.

The Scotsman: "A hard pill to swallow" by Kate Foster (September 2007)
A lengthy look at the Scottish hormonal contraceptive study and the hurdles commercialization faces. "For Steven Driver, the decision to try out a new male pill was a simple one. His long-term girlfriend had struggled with the side-effects of her own contraceptives for 11 years and he felt it only right that he take his turn..."

Barron's: "Prescriptions for Growth" by George Frey (September 2007)
Bayer's decision to quit male contraceptive research is described as a part of a strategic focus on high-profit areas: "Bayer's research efforts are focused on four areas that it views as having especially high growth potential: cancer treatment, cardiology, women's health care and diagnostic imaging (such as X-rays and MRIs). In an effort to make its research and development more fruitful, the company has initiated a process that determines whether projects are likely to be commercial as well as scientific successes. As a result, it has abandoned efforts to develop certain kinds of antibiotics and a male contraceptive."

Chemistry World: "Big pharma not interested in 'male pill'" by Ned Stafford (June 2007)
A well-written overview of the challenges facing hormonal male contraception.

MSN Health & Fitness: "A Guy Thing? Male birth control products are getting closer to market-really-but the question remains if men will use them" by Maggie Koerth-Baker (March 2007)
A lively story on MSN.com includes quotes from MCIP and the International Male Contraception Coalition, and and brief coverage of RISUG, hormonal approaches, and the “dry orgasm pill” research. The article approaches issues of demand from a “glass half empty” perspective. For example, 55% of men saying they're interested in using a new contraceptive is more impressive when you consider that the statistic includes men in predominantly Muslim Indonesia. And we found it particularly striking that a new MSN-Zogby poll showed 36% of American adults said their “current method is fine.” Can you imagine if only 36% of people were happy with any other consumer product? Every company would be piling into the market hoping to make a fortune!

Geraldo at Large: "Male 'Pill' in the news" (December 2006, television)
MCIP director Elaine Lissner interviewed as part of a lighthearted piece on men's and women's reactions to the week's news from Kings College London about a new 'male pill' development.

ABC News: "Despite hype, male pill still years away" by Dr. Jasmine Karalakulasingam (December 2006)
Puts the research and development timeline into perspective. Discusses a 'male pill', male hormonal contraception, the Intra Vas Device and RISUG.

New York Times: "Contraception as an option for the man" by Michael Manning (November 2006)
Men's attitudes are positive.  So will new male contraceptives always be 5-10 years in the future?  Covers the promising news on Adjudin and the Intra Vas Device, and is the first to break the disappointing news about Zavesca not working out.

Los Angeles Times: "Beyond condoms: male hormonal contraceptives may finally be on track" by Regina Nuzzo (October 2006)
A good overview of the promise and problems of male hormonal contraception research.

BBC News Online: "Male contraceptive study expanded" by Michelle Roberts (October 2006)
Accurate and thorough story that adds interviews and context to MCIP's press release about the expansion of the IVD trial.

CBC News: "Not just a female problem" by Georgie Binks (July 2006)
A mother’s perspective on male contraception. What do young men need to know about contraception as they go out into the world? “Pregnancy should be a big worry for males these days, because the law has made them financially responsible for their children financially, but the condom or a vasectomy are still the only two birth control options available to men.” Discusses new methods in the works.

LiveScience & Fox News: "New male contraceptives show promise" by Corey Binns (June 2006)
Entertaining but accurate descriptions of how several methods work. Covers hormonal, RISUG, and the IVD.

Times Online: "Baby, this is crazy" by Suzi Godson (April 2006)
One woman's struggle to find a suitable female contraceptive, and reasons for the slow pace of male contraceptive development thus far.

Knot Magazine: "Not to be a pill, but..." by Michael Corey (April 2004)
A young man's perspective on male responsibility, with interviews and statistics about attitudes, economics, and politics. Covers RISUG and the simple wet heat method.

Advances for Nurses: "Contraceptive Options for Men" by Jill Rollet (April 2004)
Accurate article with focus on hormonal and oral methods. Interesting background information on contraception through the ages.

AlterNet: "Are You Using Anything?" by Cara Gardner (January 2004)
Focuses on RISUG, hormonal contraception, and attitudes. Contains some inaccuracies; contact MCIP for corrections.

Grist Magazine: "The Sperminator" by Audrey Schulman (August 2003)
A global perspective on why access to contraception is important. Uses RISUG to illustrate the hurdles facing contraceptive development. Contains minor inaccuracies; contact MCIP for corrections.

Men's Health: "Shouldn't You Be on the Pill?" by Bill Gifford (May 2003)
Entertaining, thought-provoking discussion of men's rights and paternity issues, with coverage of hormonal male contraceptive research and brief coverage of other male contraceptive research. “When it comes to birth-control options, women have all the choices — and men have all the responsibilities. Here's why...”