Men and "The Pill"

Below is a video that was originally posted on The Sexist. The video was created by Amanda Hess and captures several interviews in which adult men attempt to describe how the birth control pill and various other birth control methods work to prevent pregnancy. All of the men struggle in providing accurate responses.



This above content is disturbing. I believe that many men who engage in intercourse with women are unaware of how the pill and other contraceptives work because they figure it is the woman's job to take care of it. I find this altogether disappointing as I feel that if two people are going to engage in intercourse they should both know what they are getting into.

I believe that deciding on a contraceptive should not be left up to one person alone. Whether it's condoms or the pill or other methods a healthy sexual relationship requires a healthy discussion about how to protect each other.

The pill in particular seems to be a quick fix for a lot of men. What men need to know is that it is not a quick fix for every woman. It can take some time for a woman to find a pill that works well with her particular system. Some pills cause unwanted side effects and at times the pill will actually decrease a woman's libido.

The birth control pill also costs money and in my opinion partners should share the cost of contraceptives no matter what kind of contraceptive is chosen. I've never understood why so many women feel they need to pay for the pill simply because it goes into their body alone, or why a man should feel he needs to pay for condoms simply because he places the condom on his body.

In general it seems that a lot of men take female contraceptives for granted. I understand that there are plenty of educated men out there that take contraceptives seriously and are sensitive to the issues women face. For those who are not certain as to how the birth control pill and other contraceptives work I think it's time to do a bit of research. Look online, or simply ask your female partner who hopefully knows how her own body works and reacts to contraceptives. If not perhaps you and your gal can do some homework together (Perhaps one important fact of note about the pill in particular is that it does not work 100% of the time. I've met women who use the pill religiously and have ended up getting pregnant).