Move the hell over Plan B. There’s a new player in town altering the game of contraception, and it’s called Plan A.
Comparable male birth control has always felt like a distant idea women dream about with their girlfriends over a bowl of guacamole.
“Why don’t we have the pill for men?”
“They’d never use it.”
“Why would they go through all that extra pain if they don’t have to have periods or carry the kids?”
“Maybe they love their girlfriend and want to take the burden off of her back.”
“They couldn’t handle it.”
That is the discourse that my girlfriends and the medical community have been having since the dawn of time (or at least since I can recall). And friends, our prayers for contraceptive equality might have just been answered.
Plan A is a revolutionary new birth control option for men that I believe addresses many of the concerns people have about men using birth control.
Plan A is a small procedure where a jelly-like substance is injected into the vas deferens (the tube that the sperm goes through). This effectively blocks the flow of the sperm for over 10 years. The procedure is fully and easily reversible at any time and uses no hormones.
What does that mean? It means that men don’t have to worry about taking a consistent pill or hormonal repercussions like mood swings, weight gain or headaches. So, men get effective and easy birth control, with almost no setbacks. I’m pissed we don’t have this yet for women, but I’m grateful men get the opportunity.
The advent of “the pill” in the ‘60s was one of the most influential moments in women’s history. It has allowed women to join the workforce, pursue their passions and choose if and when they want to have children.
What will male birth control mean for men? Here are my guesses.
First and foremost, we will have a more equitable distribution of contraceptive responsibility. No more automatic assumption that women will go on the pill or use one of the many birth control methods known to screw with our bodies. Decent men will have to at least participate in the conversation of responsibility. This could completely alter our perception of many gender roles.
Right now, it sounds like Plan A is a lot easier than the crap women get, so I’m guessing that a lot of women will be pressing their partners to go on Plan A. The physical and emotional burden of vicious hormonal birth control could be lifted for many.
Next, I imagine that many men will take an interest in reproductive justice and what that means to them. I picture a whole new dialogue and discourse in the public sphere. It’s a completely new level of complexity to the subject and I’m interested to see if men become invested in it.
I hope unintentional pregnancies and absent fatherhood will decrease if Plan A becomes widely available. Hopefully, more men will only be having children when they are fully invested. It’s optimistic, but a girl can dream.
My thoughts on this extend much further than one article. Plan A has so much potential to be a game-changer for sexual well-being. Plan A isn’t out yet, but there’s a good chance it will be available soon. As we usher in this new era of contraceptive health, I hope you are as excited and curious as I am to see what’s in store.