to think a male pill would be one of the best things that could happen to society?

[ZoeCM]

A massive number of society's problems are caused by absent or bad fathers. Imagine if, before a baby was conceived, a man had to consciously think, "I want to have a child with this woman, so I'll come off the pill." Not just "I want to have sex, this woman is willing, and it'll be less enjoyable if we use a condom."

Of course, it wouldn't be a panacea. There would still sadly be men who choose to come off the pill but are bad fathers anyway, or decide once the reality of parenthood sets in that they can't be bothered. And there would also be men who just don't bother to take the pill properly and are then shocked when the woman gets pregnant. But on balance, if there were a way for men to have condom-free sex without potentially having to pay for a child for eighteen years afterwards, a lot of them would be downright religious in their use of it.

I'm genuinely intrigued to see if anyone disagrees with this. I can't see any downside.

I think many people take the risk in the heat of the moment. Women, however, can get the morning after pill. I know I have.

There is a difference though, between not using a condom in the heat of the moment, but being proactive about taking a contraceptive pill every day. I think a lot of men would be able to manage the latter.

I don’t believe men would be willing to tolerate the side effects of a hormonal pill. The payoff for women is huge, but pregnancy, childbirth and rearing can just be a minor inconvenience to a man.

Won't some men just claim they're on the pill when they're not so as to dodge a condom then claim it must have failed if anyone gets pregnant? Much like some women do? You're either responsible or not I'm not sure a male pill makes much difference to that.

@IAmWhoIAmm
A man with no job pays no maintenance. Many find other ways to get away with it.

Also, a male pill would see a rise in STD rates.

They made their own pill. A red one and it's working better than anything so far.

Yes I don't know what women aren't getting or why they're making this about themselves. It always happens when the idea of a male pill is discussed. This is about men having more choice not women. We can still take our own. Imagine if we had a new contraception method and men were constantly putting their 2 cents in about how we wouldn't take it etc-there would be outrage!

Honestly men can't win, they get criticised for not having to take on any of the responsibility but any whiff of a male pill and it's "I wouldn't trust them"-just an excuse to man bash. In reality women are terrified there will be no more babies if a male pill ever gets invented I think.

The reality is...reckless men will always be reckless. A male pill won't change that.
Just in the same way that the female pill doesn't stop reckless women.

I’d say shit parents in general are a problem for society. There are some people who clearly shouldn’t have had kids and it’s mystifying why they bothered in the first place.

@Dribblo For money maybe?

Downside? Surely you jest! I wouldn’t trust Any man with that responsibility!!

There was a male injection in the works in 2016 I recall but it was scrapped due to too many side effects which were the same side effects women had to endure being on contraceptives.

I would welcome a male pill as another option, simultaneously it doesn’t change the fact that women would still bear the brunt anyway if it failed so it would have to be both parties using contraceptives vs just one.

I do wonder if a pregnancy occurs anyway with both on contraceptives , how would that be looked into and could it become a legal issue if a parter was lying or taking contraceptives wrong.

I’ve got a kid and they cost a fortune. It’s not a road to riches.

@Dribblo But for things like social housing? Doesn't having children change priority on that for example?

I think what would make men more responsible when it comes to unwanted pregnancy is to actually make them unable to walk away and have to actually pay 50% of costs for a child, regardless of income. So many dodge paying because CMS is a joke, you can get out of it by being unemployed, self employed and misdeclaring earnings or earning too little whereas the resident parent has to find the money regardless of how much they earn. If this system was changed and both parents were liable for actual 50% costs of raising a child, im sure lots of these men would suddenly become a lot more careful and their excuses for not using condoms would suddenly disappear. So its not contraception changes that are needed, its making men actually responsible if a child is born.

Supporting a child should not be optional and only if you are deemed to have enough yourself. Ive seen too many women suffer the consequences and genuinely struggle financially having to make up the shortfall for useless men who get to shrug their shoulders and say they cant afford it whilst going down the pub or spending frivolously.

@holidayhelpneeded1 And exactly how can you force anyone to work?

If they can make a male contraceptive implant for dogs they can do it for humans,
I wouldn't trust any man if I was single but it would be a good idea for couples or men wanting to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy
My dogs implant wears off after 6 months which I feel is too short a time

Well how many women have their head in the sand and breed with useless men then useless fathers then rinse and repeat

And shock horror there are useless mums

But you wouldn't have to. Female contraceptives won't disappear if the male pill is invented. Nor will condoms.

Or a woman could think."I don't want to risk getting pregnant by this man, so I won't have sex with him"

So you just believe no woman should ever have sex unless they want to get pregnant? Your sex life must be miserable

No. But we have to realise there is a risk we could. The question isnt "do I want have sex"? The question is "do I want to risk getting pregnant"?

To be fair I've seen women say men should either have a vasectomy or just never have sex if they don't want kids.

But men don’t carry the baby so why would it change anything? They get someone pregnant, they walk away.

Ideally both parties should be responsible for contraception but it’s more on the woman as she’s the one who has to deal with the consequences of getting pregnant.

Only if an unwanted pregnancy might cause some level of inner conflict though.

So more like ‘do I want to risk getting pregnant when I don’t want a child but wouldn’t be comfortable with getting rid of it’ iyswim.