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Can a man be trusted to use male contraception?

Results so far:

Yes
38% 44 votes Total: 116 votes
No
62% 72 votes

Yes

by Warren Berry

Created on: August 11, 2010   Last Updated: August 23, 2010

Can a man be trusted to use male contraception? It depends on the man of course. There are any number of reasons why contraception may not be used but as the number of methods available for contraception are very limited for the male, it traditionally falls to the woman to ensure that contraception is used. Does this remove all responsibility from the man? Of course not.

Men have traditionally been encouraged by their fathers to 'sew your wild oats' and thus with much abandon, go out and act upon their father's advice. The warning ringing in their ear has always been 'but don't you bring any girls home pregnant' giving the rather simplistic view that contraception is only about preventing unwanted pregnancy. This has been the prevailing attitude until as recently as the early 80's. The rise of AIDS did not have an effect on the population for some time through poor reporting and a seemingly global ignorance to the epidemic that was beginning to swell. 

Times have of course changed as the population becomes more educated. Parents understand about the health risks involved in unprotected sex and the myriadof related infections, diseases and afflictions that come with multiple partner, unprotected sex. After all, today's parents were the children of the 80's who watched as the world began to understand what it was facing. As ignorance has been replaced by education, so the understanding of social responsibility has grown. Schools teach sex education at a more detailed level and there is no stigma attached to young people asking for sexual advice or contraception.

Condoms are routinely handed out at schools and free clinics across the country and sexual health drop in centres encourage people to get checked out more regularly by offering anonymous advice. All this points to a society that is taking its sexual health more seriously than ever.

So can the male be trusted to use contraception? Of course he can. Just as much as a woman can be trusted to use female contraception. From a purely physical perspective, the act of intercourse is a consensual one with the female holding the ultimate vote. As the driver of the interaction the female can at any time say no to sex if their is any doubt about the use of contraception.

Trust has to be a two way street with the man and woman agreeing on the best method for protection from unwanted pregnancy and communicable sexual infections. To put the onus on one of the two is unfair.


Learn more about this author, Warren Berry.
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No

by Daniel Relph

Created on: November 18, 2009

Well, that depends on the man. What is often overlooked is that women should ask themselves, Do I trust the man I am having sexual intercourse with? If the answer is no, then make sure you have the protection you need to keep from becoming pregnant.

Men are basically wired so that there is two factors that control the man's reproductive reactions. It is well known that many men will have sexual intercourse with as many women as possible. Instinctively this response is due to the male of the species wanting to maximize the number of genetic descendants. The other factor is that men want the woman or women to care for his children so they will survive to adulthood. This second factor is controlled by love, which implies trust. There are men that are mainly controlled by the urge to impregnate as many women as possible and there are men that are basically controlled by the urge to impregnate only the women they trust and love. You know which type of man you're sleeping with.

Both men and women instinctively want to reproduce, but both men and women have brains. The brain usually overrides our instincts. Factors like economic and relational stabilities come into play. Factors like the number of children already conceived will also come into play. A man who has not fathered a child will be more inclined to succumb to the reproductive urges; and, the same thing is true of a woman. One might ask with equal validity, can a woman be trusted to use contraception?

When talking about contraception one has to remember that there are two instinctive urges. One is to reproduce and maintain your genes in the gene pool. The other is to copulate and enjoy the orgasmic response. The instinctive urge to reproduce can have a definite effect on the orgasmic response. Love and trust come into play here. Loving the person you are copulating with means that you want that person to have the maximum orgasmic response so they will keep coming back for more; and be a part of the reproductive process that involves the many years needed for raising children to adulthood.

The man you're sleeping with may have fathered your children; if that is the case then you can trust him more. Instinctively he wants and needs you to help raise his children to adulthood and instinctively you want him to help you raise your children to adulthood. If there is no love and trust between you and the man, then you're there to purely satisfy your lust and you should insure you're protected yourself against unwanted pregnancies; ironically so should the man.

Male contraceptives are still in the labs except for two common methods. Condoms are the most commonly used for unmarried couples. Vasectomies are more common for married couples and men that have already have children and been divorced. Never take a man's word for it that he has had a vasectomy; you should know. Remember, you know when he is using a condom.

Another common method of birth control for men is withdraw. You should never trust a man to withdraw and expel his semen outside of you during an orgasm and never under estimate your ability to hold a man in during an orgasm. Withdraw should not be considered as a means of contraception in that even when accomplished correctly the man can only insure the major part of his semen is ejaculate outside of you. You will still receive a smaller part of his semen and it only takes one tiny sperm cell to get you pregnant.

Ideally you should only copulate with a man you love and trust, but we all know that are all weak when it comes to lust. We should all remember that lust is related to reproductive urges and those urges often overcome our common sense. Sex is not just copulating. Sex involves copulation, pregnancy, and raising children. If you are stirred by lust and find yourself in situations where copulation might be possible then have a stash of condoms. Make sure all of your children are wanted and loved by you and your husband.

Learn more about this author, Daniel Relph.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.


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