My post yesterday asking men whether they'd be willing to take birth control pills garnered some interesting responses from commenters and on other sites. Matt Yglesias answered, "[F]or me (and probably for most people) it would all come down to whether or not there are some terrible pill-related side effects."
Side effects are a real concern, but it's important to bust the myth that the female birth control pill is essentially side-effect free. The pill has been known to cause a number of unpleasant side-effects, including dry eyes (making it very difficult to comfortably wear contact lenses), nausea, weight gain, headaches, and for migraine sufferers like myself, an increase in frequency of attacks during pill "off days." Many, many women are willing to put up with these conditions because avoiding an unwanted pregnancy is very important to them. The pill, especially in combination with another contraceptive device, simply offers unparalleled piece of mind. The question for me is whether men would be similarly willing to take their lumps. As the male pill will be new, I'd understand initial unwillingness, with many men deciding they don't want to be the guinea pigs for a relatively untested drug. But hopefully, eventually, the male pill will be as popular as the female pill.
Commenter Yossarian wrote, "This is going to be awful for women in abusive relationships. The dude can claim he's on the pill, and then get her pregnant, which then gives him even more control over her because she now has children to worry about." Women and men alike should not trust other people to take care of contraception for them. That's why it's important that birth control be accessible and affordable. As my friend and commenter August Pollak responded, "If you're a woman who doesn't want to get pregnant or a man who doesn't want to get a woman pregnant, then decide what contraception is necessary for you. The existence of a new product doesn't change this at all." Indeed, a new product simply increases people's options and spreads around both the privilege of control and the burden of responsibility.
--Dana Goldstein
