Male Birth Control Study Terminated and Women Are Pissed
A recent study testing the effects of male birth control in the form of an injection has been terminated due to signs of depression and mood swings.
The shot of synthetic hormones was being administered every eight weeks to a group of men between the ages of 18 and 45. However, after some of the test subjects began to show symptoms of depression and mood swings, researchers decided to end the trials early.
What is boggling about this termination is the fact that women who take birth control often experience these systems as well, but they still take a pill every day or wear a patch.
The Gender Issue
A typical stereotype given to women is that they are moody and have intense emotions that can come out of nowhere (i.e. mood swings). Of course, as a woman, I hate hearing this and the inevitable question, “Are you on your period?” if I’m upset or angry about something.
In fact, women who are on the pill are warned that they may experience depression. According to a new study published on JAMA, women have an increased risk for depression when taking hormonal birth control. Of the women prescribed birth control, about 30 percent of them experience depression-like symptoms or are also on antidepressant medication.
This percentage compared to the 3 percent of men in the study who experienced these side effects is extremely large.
Why Women Feel Cheated
It feels as if the responsibility of contraception has been placed on one gender: women. They are responsible for taking a pill every day, wearing a patch, or having a painful IUD inserted. Not only do they have to take this responsibility, but they also have to deal with the side effects.
Women are upset because they feel since they must learn how to live with side effects such as mood swings and depression, men should be able to handle it too. What gives them the right to say that this study cannot go on because of side effects that come with birth control that is taken by women as well?
Is the well-being of men more important than the well-being of women? Why is it up to women to deal with these side effects and men cannot in order to stop conception? It takes two to tango and both parties should be responsible for contraception.