Stanek weekend question: Why is there “little interest” in male contraceptives?
Ms. Magazine, in a January 13 article lamenting the decades long failure of the industry to development contraceptives for men, included a remarkable assessment, given the source:
Contraception is about many things – reproductive choice, personal freedom, partner trust – but perhaps mostly about money.
In 2015, the global contraceptives market for men and women will reach an estimated $17.2 billion, yet industry players have done little to sustain male-method development (beyond or even including male condoms) because they still don’t see potential demand or dollars.
“Market research has shown little interest from males, so companies have continued to [bow] out,” says Sitruk-Ware.
Kudos to Ms. for its honest evaluation of the real motivation behind the push for contraceptives.
That aside, why do you think men have “little interest” in altering their reproductive virility?
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
They don’t get pregnant. Pregnancy is the ultimate 2-edged sword, both blessing and burden. Since men don’t get pregnant, they have much less immediate interest in avoiding pregnancy.
I listened to a free Audio CD from http://www.onemoresoul.com in the speach the lady giving the talk said that during the trial period of the BC Pill men were having their own BC pill tested. One man turned up with one testicle smaller than the other in the trial and the trials for men were abandonded. On the flip side 3 women died during the study and all they did was to adjust the dosage. She has these records documented as she gives this speach.
The CD is free, it’s called Contraception Why not?
I second the motion! Janet Smith’s Contraception Why Not is a great resource. If you have not listened to it, you should.
Pretty much agree: men don’t get pregnant. That’s not to say that men don’t care about their partners – just, it’s different when something happens to YOU. And pregnancy does involve men but it is not inescapable for them the way that it is for women, even if ‘escaping’ is a terrible thing to do and they know it – there’s just a different subconscious mindset that often goes into it. Particularly if you go back to the social atmosphere at the time birth control really began to be widely, publicly accepted, which is a discourse that shaped how we view and approach birth control today (ie, as a women’s issue).
The negative consequences of sex have always fallen disproportionately hard on women, so it only makes sense that women are willing to take greater risks to avoid those consequences.
Men don’t bear the consequences of conception. That is the main issue.
Also, men fear that hormonally messing with their virility will also mess with their sexual performance. This fear alone is sufficient to mess with a guy’s performance, so men won’t go near it.
And at a deeper level, men still value their own fertility. Meanwhile, women have been taught to reject their fertility. As long as women are so willing to take the poison, men won’t touch it.
Because a) men don’t get pregnant. b) men don’t want to mess with anything that might hurt their reproductive parts c) it’s so much easier for men to let women carry the entire burden of managing pregnancy. After all, it’s her body, her choice. What’s the man got to do with it anyway?
Ms. needs to connect the dots a little further and admit that contraception only further enslaves women to men. It only accentuates the so-called disparity between the sexes and further places men and women at odds with each other, usually to the woman’s disadvantage.
On the other hand, a moral and right understanding of human sexuality, reproduction and marriage makes men and women true partners, sharing in the responsibility and joy of reproduction. Win-win for the adults and win for the children they help create. You’d almost think God and the Church know what they’re talking about. :)
Jennifer, I second your explanation. The beauty of the Catholic Church is never more evident than its defense of what is in God’s order …. and human fertility is a God-given gift to mankind. Even the word, “contraception” shows the disorder … “against conception”
I think the pill is number one proof that our “anything goes” culture has done nothing but enslave women further. We aren’t liberated. Now we are expected to ingest harmful cancer causing and fertility destroying hormones so that men can have sex with us without fear of impregnating us. Many women enter an early grave all for that mighty responsibility free orgasm. Its insanity!
I own “contraception, why not?” and it really is excellent. I’m not Catholic either. I don’t believe all contraception is wrong but the points in the CD were excellent. It definitely made me rethink and research the pill. My husband wanted me to take it. He didn’t know how harmful it was. I did my research and told him NO WAY. I was not taking it anymore. He wasn’t happy about it but I told him I was not putting that poison in my body. He learned to accept it once I explained why I wasn’t taking it anymore.
del and jenn just both pretty much said it all! it was never uncommon for men to ask ” are you protected”? “are you on birth control”? ha good old womens lib. ( i call it womens bondage) sure many men will put a condom on but with so many women dumbed down its just expected that its her duty to be protected.
and thats also why our abortion rate is so high. because contraception fails. i got pregnant with my son while on the pill but abortion was out of the question. now these confused women today use abortion clinics as birth control. and that abortion is going to mutilate your cervix. my husbands friends wife is now 52 years old and shes in menopause now. she and rick got pregnant 3 times and she miscarried. when my husband showed her a baby pic of our son she burst into tears. she finally admitted shed had 3 abortions when she was younger. im sure thats why she was not able to carry a baby to term.
“Now we are expected to ingest harmful cancer causing and fertility destroying hormones so that men can have sex with us without fear of impregnating us.”
While I am no fan of hormonal contraception, for health reasons, I do think it’s dismissive when people imply or outright state that women take it so that MEN can have sex without fear of pregnancy. Many, many women also want to have sex without fear of pregnancy. Whether you think that’s a good or bad thing is another issue entirely, but most women I know who are on hormonal contraception consider it something they do for themselves as much as their partner.
During my time in retail pharmacy practice, many women told me that they would like to quit taking the pill, but their husbands would not allow it.
I gave the package insert for the health care provider to these patients. I unwrapped it to show them how huge it was, pointed out the long list of side effects, and advised them to give it to their husbands to read, every time they were in the mood.
It always astonished me that the freedom which was supposedly conferred by the birth control pills, was not being enjoyed by the women…… who were unwilling to go against their husbands’ wishes that they ingest those steroidal compounds.
when you work with a lot of women ( as i do ) they all chatter about their boyfriends or husbands and their birth control. pretty much every woman ive crossed paths with is taking something. @ pharmer……you sound like a wonderful pharmacist!
I see an awful lot of man-blaming here-feminists have marginalized men in the abortion/bc debate for forty years (see the prochoice hashtags on Twitter at any given time for confirmation of this) men have been totally pushed to the sidelines and told they have no opinion on reproductive issues as they are not ‘uterus owners’-and now feminists are griping because men are gun shy over male contraception? can you blame them? After 40 years of being told to shut up, I’d want nothing to do with it either. If proabort feminists aren’t going to consider the rights of fathers when it comes to abortion, they have no right to demand men’s cooperation in other areas. They got what they wanted-total control with no interference from those who are half the equation when it comes to procreation, which makes it extra laughable when they shriek for equal rights while denying equality to others.
MPQ you rock!
yep the radical feminists sure have pushed men away. just like when i met with that doctor about a tubal ligation. i told her i was against abortion and she told me she performed them. then she added ” if men had to push a baby through their penis there wouldnt be any kids.” then she snickered. i had a look of total disbelief on my face and i was mortified. then she added ” you no longer need to ask your husband for permission to get your tubes tied.” i go to a teaching hosipital so you never know who youre gonna get. i guess i got the lunatic that day. i never saw the horses arse again per my request. man hater much?
i wonder why some ding bat doctor would be oh so happy that i could get my tubes tied without my husbands input. i tell my husband everything. she was acting like score 1 for women! even worse she had a student with her. we shot each other a look. she looked mortified to be stuck with the nutty witch. my look to the student was one of ….so sorry youre stuck with that crazy witch.
and she seemed so tickled pink to tell me she killed babies!
Re: “even worse she had a student with her. we shot each other a look. she looked mortified to be stuck with the nutty witch.”
Heather, that’s one of the pitfalls of health care training, A student can be stuck following a psycho practitioner, or a stupid one, and it’s embarrassing as well as a waste of time. It’s good that you lodged a “vote” against the crazy doc.
Something I wrote way back in 1997 :
“Since I believe that women should be permitted to make informed medical decisions, it should be mentioned that the new low dose combination birth control pills are potentially abortifacient also. Combo B.C. pills were originally designed to prevent ovulation. As the hormonal dose is decreased (in order to decrease other side effects) the possibility of breakthrough ovulation increases, and prevention of implantation becomes a more prominent mechanism of action. For a multitude of medical and ethical reasons, hormonal birth control modalities should never have become the treatment of choice in human beings. Birth control pills for men are currently in development. When these drugs fail in the marketplace, women will truly know that they have been had.”
Glad to see that some people have been waking up.
yes pharmer ive been an lpn for 24 years so i know that just because someone is a doctor doesnt always mean they are right. i went to a med.center for a very bad rash on my finger. the doctor treated me like total cr*p and we got into a very heated verbal confrontation that carried out into the waiting room. long story short he violated the hippa law and i went home and called the owner. he was fired at once. i went back a month ago and the nurse said ” om gosh youre that girl who had that big fight with dr so and so back in may.” i said “yes i am.” she leaned in and said “i stuck up for you. he was a nut and we were so glad to see him go.” i smiled and said “anytime”!
Alexandra, I agree with you that its not just men wanting to have sex without pregnancy. But the reason why women take the pill is that MEN don’t want to wear condoms. The men don’t want to diminish their pleasure at all so the woman is expected to ingest something that harms her health.
Heather, I also got pregnant with my first son while on the pill. I was on Yaz, which btw is being pulled off the market now because its so dangerous.
Its a miracle my oldest son is even here! I had such pain in my side that they did ultrasounds to figure out what was going on. They could see no cysts on my ovaries and no baby in my uterus so they did bloodwork. That blood work showed I was pregnant before I had even missed my period. I immediately stopped taking the pill.
With this second pregnancy I never had that intense pain in my side. I don’t know if it was related to the pill or if God caused the pain so I’d find out I was pregnant sooner and stop taking that pill… i don’t know. I am just so glad I found out the truth and don’t take that poison anymore.
I also think there are couples who love each other and because the pill is so engrained in our society as “the birth control” option they just use it without even realizing what they are doing. My husband certainly loves me. He pledged forever to me. I pledged forever to him. We love our children. We are pro-life. And yet we used the pill because that is what every other couple around us used. That is what doctors told us to use. That is what we thought was normal and acceptable.
I was put on the pill as a virgin at 20 years old for menstrual cramps. I have a lot of breast cancer in my family. And my gyn knew this, yet she put me, a virgin, on the pill to control cramps! Its insane!
So I stayed on it for years. After I had my oldest son I went on it for a month but felt very convicted. I asked my new doctor (who was pro-choice so I should have known better) if it could cause an abortion. He angrily retorted that it would not.
However, I did my own research and I also for the first time read the entire pill insert. And the pill insert admits it can prevent implantation. There was my answer! Plus the list of risks was absurdly long…
I told my husband I could not in good conscience take this anymore and we could either find non-hormonal birth control or be celibate. His choice. He chose barrier method.
sydney same here! i began to bleed and cramp and i told my boyfriend of 10 years to take me to the hospital. something is wrong. and besides the pill we were being so careful. he pulled out ( i think thats acceptable to say) the doctor asked if i could be pregnant. my response was “no way” by that time my vaginal bleeding was heavy so i thought it was my period. i was pregnant!!!!!!
OBVIOUSLY because they want to impregnate everyone woman in the world and ENSLAVE them to their bodies MWHAHAHA!!!! the evil plan of men – finally unveiled!
*rolls eyes*
eh i got distracted on my last post as my husband just walked in. we are about to get hit with a huge blizzard. anyway what strides we women must be making as women. oh goody goody gumdrops now we can sneak behind our husbands backs and have as many abortions as we want. we can also get our tubes tied without running it by our husbands. oh joy…….yeah girls we are really coming up!
Everyone else has pretty much said it but I’ll second (or 18th it as it will be) it: feminists have been telling men for 40 years wether a woman has a babe or not has nothing to do with them. Who in the world would ingest a medicine that causes massive hormonal changes, and all the health worries that go along with it, if it’s meant to prevent something they supposedly have no control over?? Be reasonable here, male pattern baldness is inherited through the mother, but it has everything to do with the guy, not the girl, so if they came out with a pill tomorrow that stopped male pattern baldness if women took it *but* caused: decreased or increased sex drive, weight gain, mood swings, increased your chance of osteoprosis, stroke, blood clot, cancer, as well as a host of other things how many women would jump up to take it? (Obviously men *do* have something to do with pregnancy, but they have been convinced they don’t, even in a marriage since nearly everywhere a wife can get an abortion without even telling her husband, much less his permission.)
Sad in a way, because I think the only truly effective contraception would be from the male’s side of things, cuz once sperm gets inside a women, even a tubal isn’t 100% effective. (Of course vasectomies auto-correct themselves at about the same rate as pregnancies despite tubals but you get my point)
A lot of men, especially teen boys and younger guys, are selfish and don’t think of the consequences. It’s not misandry, just truth. Since we don’t get pregnant, we don’t get STDs quite as easily, and condoms don’t feel as good, most younger guys don’t see contraception and condoms as necessary. It’s “her problem” if they get someone pregnant. I tell the teenage boys at the shelter that just because they don’t bear the worst of the consequences of unprotected sex doesn’t mean that they have less responsibility. But a lot of these boys were never taught any better, so it’s hard to get through to them.
id like to add that this woman missed the boat. she was pro choice all the way. as soon as i told her i was anti abortion she said “oh youre reading too much right wing propaganda.” she trotted down the hall and handed me a bunch of left wing propaganda. says iud does not cause abortion ~source? planned parenthood. omg lady no you didnt go there. i chucked those papers into the garbage before leaving the hospital. i was just totally disgusted that day. if she was so anti male why didnt she tell me ” tell your husband to have a vasectomy”? she was a psycho.
Heather – love your enthusiasm, but next time chuck them into the recycling ;) haha
But yeah – love when pro-aborts say we’re about propaganda but then do the same :P
lol amber takes 2 to tango. those evil evil men…BUT if a man wants a woman to abort ( half his baby btw ) and she refuses then can he walk away form paying child support? of course not! insane world we live in. @ jack…im sorry i layed into you the other day. you pointed out your struggles and ive had my demons to battle as well. hope we can forget it. im sorry. i really am. anyway good point about teen boys!
it is just so very hard to battle pro aborts ( and then sometimes we pro lifers argue. my friend robin pointed out that the enemy would be pleased. it was usually a battle over which faith was the right one. catholics this baptists that. we are all there to fight abortion so lets just keep that focus.
Heather – agreed haha pro-aborts tend to be sexist towards men, while claiming that men are sexist towards women.
back to amber…thanks! you know this abortionist is named coleen krejewski and im sure shed be the first to say how dumb sarah palin was. she handed me that left wing crud and it said that the iud is safe and you will not get pregnant..BUT ive also heard a woman can get a perforated uterus from it. ive also heard of women who do indeed get pregnant on it. i know the pill can cause blood clots and women have died on it. she wasnt foolin me.
“oh goody goody gumdrops now we can sneak behind our husbands backs and have as many abortions as we want. we can also get our tubes tied without running it by our husbands.”
If a woman can’t talk to her husband about these things, then it’s probably more of a statement about their relationship than it is about our supposedly perverse culture.
Nobody here has been able to answer the question of how far a man can go to prevent his partner from getting an abortion. How would you implement a partner notification law? What if a woman is in an abusive situation–would he still have to sign that dotted line?
Megan: Abortion shouldn’t be legal. I don’t care if it’s the woman or the man who wants the abortion or not. Neither should be able to “choose” to kill their baby.
I say if a man doesn’t want to impregnate a woman, he should bank some sperm. and have a reversible vasectomy…it takes one to two days to heal, versus his partner having to have multiple doses of cancer and fertility killing drugs imbibed monthly, and as alot of women are not told, antibioticss interfere with contraceptives, so there is a risk for pregnancy, and miscarriage is higher when a woman is already pregnant and unknowinglystill taking her birth control…IF men want to have sex with women and not use a condom or use ovulation calendar methods along with withdrawal, then he should have a vasectomy, versus a woman having to have a tubal, which is invasive…and can still cause ectopiuc pregnancies and possible death.
In addition to men not getting pregnant, theres another reason which hasn’t been mentioned – or if it has, I missed it – so I apologize…
A girl knows before deciding to have sex without a condom if she’s been taking her pill on time, she know if she might have missed a dose a couple of days ago. If the guy is on the pill, the girl has to take his word for it, unless of course – they’re married/living together and she watches him take it every day. Most of us would rather just be responsible for taking our own pill without needing to worry about it being someone else’s responsibility.
All anecdotes aside (because they really don’t prove or disprove anything), condoms fail more often than the pill – which makes the pill more reliable choice for women when it comes to pregnancy prevention. Many women who are not married take the pill for the pregnancy prevention reliability and/or for acne/hormonal regulation – and use the condom for STD prevention and additional pregnancy prevention. Only 12-14% of married couples who use contraception use the condom – the majority rely on the pill or IUD, and around 80% of women in the US use the pill at some point in their lives. To say that women take it because the men in their lives talk them in to due to disliking condoms it is simply not backed up by evidence.
Data from the CDC:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&sqi=2&ved=0CFkQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnchs%2Fdata%2Fseries%2Fsr_23%2Fsr23_029.pdf&ei=Bd8RT9iaAaXr0gHVv_mTAw&usg=AFQjCNGUPqIid3GkfMICwGVj2_6Q1XeqXA
Well Amanda, its certainly true in my own life. My husband wanted me on the pill because he didn’t want to wear condoms. Funny, I got pregnant on the pill but didn’t conceive for 5 years using a condom. I think condoms are effective when used correctly… and if you’re not using the Planned Parenthood condom which has shown to have a high failure rate. Oh, the irony.
yeah thats the thing about anecdotes – for every story saying something is so, there’s another one saying its not… because then I can tell you that my fiance is the opposite – and is far more anal about condom use than I am, and I was taking the pill 6 years before I even met him and 2 years before I was even sexually active, to manage migraines and painful cramps. I don’t expect my story to change your perspective though – thats why anecdotes don’t work.
Long term studies show that an enormous percentage of American women, married and unmarried, continue to use the pill successfully. If there was data to suggest otherwise, I’d certainly be interested in reading it.
It’s fine Heather, I appreciate the apology and I apologize for being snarky at you too. We all have things that we are ultra-touchy about. Sexual abuse is something I have trouble discussing rationally, I am very sensitive about it and take offense easily even when someone isn’t trying to be offensive.
Megan, I don’t think that abortion should be legal at all. But, while it is legal, I think it’s incredibly dangerous to give another adult the right over someone’s medical decisions. I don’t know if most pro-lifers would agree with me, but I don’t agree that someone’s legal health decision should be in anyone’s hands, even their spouse, unless they have appointed that person their medical guardian and they are incapacitated. Much as I despise abortion and want to make it illegal, and I feel horrible for men who want their babies and have no choice, I simply can’t agree that a man should be able to force a woman either way. It’s just another reason that abortion should be illegal all together, honestly.
Amanda, if you read my previous posts you would see I was ALSO on the pill before I was sexually active. I’m not disagreeing with you that women take it for reasons other than the men in their lives. My story isn’t meant to change anyone’s mind. I’m just sharing MY story, thats all.
My husband liked the pill. I was already on it. No worries for him. He wasn’t happy when I said I would no longer take it. But after I explained why he came around.
Yeah, Sydney, I know of lots of guys who “are allergic” to condoms, or “can’t find any that fit.” (lol) For the most part, though, the women I know who are on birth control would kick a guy like that out of bed anyway, at least in the beginning when condoms are something to insist on for STI reasons. At the end of the day, most women on hormonal contraception that I know of consider taking a pill easier than stopping things, attempting not to kill the mood, putting on a condom, worrying about if it breaks, disposing of it, etc; plus I do know women who don’t like the lack of physical intimacy that comes with condoms as well. To them, hormonal BC seems like the easiest, most convenient way to avoid pregnancy, for the most part. At least among my anecdotal circles.
I don’t actually believe that it is and I often wish they thought outside the box a bit. It’s just…the default. I think it got that way because pregnancy has historically been treated as a “woman’s problem” and it stays that way because lots of women are in no greater hurry to get pregnant than men are to get a woman pregnant.
Oh and Sydney, I’m glad your husband came around! I know you struggled with other topics related to this issue, but no woman should be taking the pill unless she is informed and still wants to!
Sydney, I am glad he came around. I can’t imagine trying to make my wife take a medication because it was more convenient/pleasurable for me, I think that’s really selfish. Not that I think that your husbands a bad guy or whatever, I just don’t think most men have looked into the Pill and seen the damage it is capable of doing.
Jack,
That final line of yours is where our opinions diverge, but…yeah. I think people in a healthy relationship should be making decisions together about family planning. A woman getting an abortion unbeknownst to her partner–that’s a sign of a failing/failed relationship, to me.
I have to say, yes, a lot of women think the pill is more convient than condoms (and more reliable, but the number 1 reason the CDC lists for women *not* on hormonal bc is that they don’t like the side effects. So even if some women do find it more convient for any number of reasons, you have to logically assume many of them would readily and happily choose another method, due to unwanted side effects, if one was availible.
As to the spousal consent: abortion should be illegal anyway *but* assuming it’s legality I think a women, unless rape/abuse is involved, should require paternal notification in order to be able to legally kill their mutal offspring, it takes two to tango. If the couple is married, then they are considered one entity under the law, from a spouse not being able to testify against another to joint taxes, a married couple is assumed to be one entity. If you are married I think it should require spousal *consent* to abort legally. A child (even if truthfully conceived by another) is assumed to be the husbands, he has legal responsibility to any child born into the marriage (even if a blood test proves he’s not the father!), and it is truly absurd that a married women should be able to kill a conceived-in-marriage child without the consent of her husband.
Again there should be an except for rape/abuse, but that doesn’t mean a women goes to a judge privately and says ‘i don’t want to tell my husband, he’s abusive’ it should mean that the women goes to the police and has her abusive/rapist spouse arrested on charges and agrees to testify against him. Same with parental consent exceptions. If a kid wants an exception to notification/consent from her parents it should only happen if she’s willing to talk to the police and a caseworker to prove real abuse and see the people she is allegedly so terrified of arrested and tried. (I do believe the outcome of the trial should be irrelevent, not only for time reasons but because there is a huge difference between ‘innocent’ and ‘not guilty’. But a spouse or a kid going before a judge for an exemption amount to ‘i think they’ll say no and I don’t want that’ being willing to go before caseworkers/police meansing ‘i am scared for my life and need to be out of this dangerous situation’.
Jespren… men don’t have custody of their wives. It’s the wives decision. What other medical decisions do you think that men have the right to prevent women from making? Until abortion is illegal, then men can’t have the right over someone’s medical decisions. That won’t help us.
JackBorsch, your fallacy is saying abortion is a medical procedure. It is illogical, unethical, and counter to true medicine to call abortion a medical procedure. Abortion is not healthcare, and it is not a ‘medical’ choice mom is making. It’s a parenting choice to kill a very young offspring. And if that ability, to kill an offspring, is legal, then both parents of the offspring should have to consent to it.
Jespren, I don’t think abortion is a right, and I am well aware that it is killing a baby. But as it stands now, abortion is defined as a medical procedure, and it happens to a woman’s body. I can’t support letting men have legal control over their wives bodies, and I really fear that it would lead to even more forced abortions. Until abortion is illegal, men don’t get to have a choice, as sucky as that is.
“If a kid wants an exception to notification/consent from her parents it should only happen if she’s willing to talk to the police and a caseworker to prove real abuse and see the people she is allegedly so terrified of arrested and tried.”
Yep, because survivors of incest are always willing to come forward/will always have the law on their side. Right. #prolifelogic
Alexandra: “I know of lots of guys who “are allergic” to condoms, or “can’t find any that fit.”
One reason why some guys can’t find condoms that fit is that their mamas took the pill.
But there is a “solution”: HOTSHOT condoms!
To be fair – some people ARE allergic to condoms – men and women alike. My mom is – she’s allergic to latex – highly so, her throat closes up even she goes anywhere near it. And it is harder to find condoms not made from latex.
Still not an excuse, though.
wow amber i have a girlfriend who is allergic to latex. she cant use condoms.
I’m sure they’ll start making more alternative ones soon – I mean gloves in hospitals, doctors offices, etc. aren’t latex anymore because the allergy is becoming more popular/widely known.
the problem is that abortion clinics dont report incest. i will tell the story of the 2 girls in kansas. i believe the abuse began at 13 or so. dad kept raping them and taking them in for abortions. i believe each girl had 4. the abortion clinic sent these girls home to the house of horrors. the secret came out when one of the girls carried to term and confided to the medical staff about the rape. enough was enough. how could anyone do that to their babies?
people think abortion clinics are so grand and that they report sex abuse. they dont. they let little girls and women down and perps walk free. no dna no evidence. no protection from staff. “just have an abortion.” “get on with life.”
Yeah, Amber, I definitely know people who are allergic to latex. I suspect FAR more men self-identify as being allergic to latex than women, though…
Alexandra – Oh, I agree! Like Jack said, some guys are just selfish, don’t think about it and/or don’t really care…but that’s not every guy haha (Thank GOD!)
heard a lot of that in my 20s. the men said ” i hate condoms cuz i cant feel anything.” so we decided to throw caution to the wind and have sex anyway. looking back im sure we would both be feeling something had we contracted hiv or other diseases. my former gay friend is hiv positive. he wasnt using condoms and they ( he and his lover ) were inviting other men into their relationships.
Megan, 1st, teens who seek exemptions for the reasons the exemptions exist (incest or abusive home situation where they fear knowledge of the pegnancy will lead to harm are FAR, FAR outnumbered by the ‘my mom or dad would be really pissed at me, can I have one without telling them?’ Exemptions are foisted on the public as being a necessary step to keep girls safe, but everyone knows that isn’t what they are used for, they are used to let girls have abortions behind their parent’s back, even if that means illegally going out of state. The need to actually report a crime would stop the abuse of the exception law. And, furthermore, children who report abuse to law enforcement and social workers are so automatically and overwelming believed that even a complete lack of evidence of any wrong doing is not enough to clear a person’s name when they have been accused. it’s true they don’t always fine such simple grounds in court, because ultimately such things are difficult to prove, which brings me to point 2.
2) the point of *any* interaction with an abuse victim by *any* member of the civil or criminal orsocial services should be to remove them from their abusive situation. A baby with daddy’s/granddaddy’s is proof positive of incest. Either A) it happened and the aborted remains can be retained for evidence (since the police are already involved) or B) the girl’s rapidly swelling belly and birth of new babe can be used as proof positive of incest. Letting a girl slip by parental notification because she *might* be an abuse victim does NOTHING to help her. Much incest is unknow by the other spouse, and being notified of a pregnancy might very well be what a mother needs to wake up to what her husband is doing. Unless you like the idea of a girl being returned to her abuser, there simply is NO upside to rubber stamped judge-issued exemptions.
There are such things as “lambskin” condoms, for those allergic to latex.
“ And, furthermore, children who report abuse to law enforcement and social workers are so automatically and overwelming believed that even a complete lack of evidence of any wrong doing is not enough to clear a person’s name when they have been accused.”
Are you kidding me? So many children are put back into abusive situations because they aren’t believed or there isn’t enough evidence. It’s a huge, huge problem, waaaayyy more than “false accusations”.
There are several types of condoms that aren’t latex. One is lambskin which STINK terrible. There are other ones too, I forget which material they are made out of but they are not biodegradable.
I think men should be notified if their baby mama wants to abort. I mean, isn’t it only fair? If she can sock him for child support shouldn’t he at least be notified when his baby is about to be aborted? How can feminists expect it to be just one way “If I decide to abort you have no say but if I decide not to support you better cough up some bucks.”
The flip side of this of course is women who don’t want to abort but the men want them to abort… do they get a say then too? Tricky situations. Is it a pandora’s box we’re opening if we allow men to have a say at all? I mean, it can work for the life of the child or against the life of the child…
That’s part of my issue, Sydney. I don’t think that someone has the right to force someone to either undergo or not undergo a procedure that is legal. When abortion is illegal it’s a whole different ballgame.
Just realized my cell autofilled the ‘name’ field with the first thing I typed, so my last comment was published under the name “megan”. The comment at 8:32 was mine in response to Megan.
Sydney, spousal consent would mean dad couldn’t force an abortion anymore than mom can. Without both parties agreeing to the proceedure it doesn’t happen.
JackBorsch, abused children don’t end back up with their abusers because they aren’t believed, sometimes lack of evidence, but far more often because we have a broken welfare system which is interested in giving truly troubled families ‘second changes’ (and 3rd, 7th, and 9th ones) because they get more $ for keeping the kid in and out of foster care and providing ‘services’ (most of which the family never actually receive) to moms and dads who belong in jail but make more money for the state as ‘trying to reconcil’ families. Whereas children who don’t come from troubled homes and are erronously (and usually quite illegally) taken are quickly adopted (because they are easily adoptable) for the $ availible for getting kids ‘out’ of the system. I didn’t even imply false accusations are more of a trouble than kids going back, just that once an accusation has been made, it sticks, period. Kids are returned to abusive situations because states CPS offices make more money that way. The corruption is systemic and horrific. Which is exactly why getting the police involved is so important. Again, baby dna (alive or dead) is a sure-fire, slam-dunk case and, most of the time, convicted incestial pedophiles still get jail time, which means the currupt and mostly useless CPS organizations can’t drop the abuser back in so dad can have a 2nd chance to prove he can be a good parent. Dad’s in jail, where he belongs, and the victim gets justice and help, instead of being shuffled right back in.
*polyisoprene condoms are non-latex. I know because I have a mild latex allergy meaning I get very itchy if exposed to latex for long periods of time and can break out in rash etc… Condoms that are latex seem to irritate me greatly and its not fun being irritated in such sensitive areas, let me tell you.
Condoms have their drawbacks. I would rather use NFP because its natural but my husband doesn’t trust it so I compromise.
I used BC once. A condom. It sucked. I’ll never use birth control again.
Jespren, you are talking to someone who was blamed for sexual abuse, though it was church and not government officials who did so. A lot of the kids I was on the streets with were not believed as well, CPS listened to their mothers claiming that it never happened and rubber stamped the whole file as unsubstantiated, and the kids suffered for it. I really don’t think that the only problem is corruption, though that is pretty bad too, victim-blaming and not believing victims is a huge problem too. I have experienced it, and I know many people who experienced it as well. But of course you are right, that even the most corrupt officials can’t ignore an abuse victim pregnant by the abuser.
WAIT A MINUTE! HOLD EVERYTHING! —
This article is published in Ms Magazine? This is a feminist rag, published by a bunch of unapologetic, post-abortive women who are now >70 years old!
Why are they concerned about male birth control?
How about popularizing forms of partnered sex that can’t result in pregnancy?
How about getting it out to the girls that they can pleasure themselves as well or better than a partner of either sex?
Denise, once again you are positing a cure worse than the ‘disease’. Those ‘other’ forms of sex are either A) inheriently dangerous to the human body or B)non-stimulating or even painful to one partner or the other or C) not possible for all partners.
The human body was made to have vaginal/penile sex, other forms run into noticable troubles. And your other mentioned, either by oneself or with a partner is more foreplay or afterplay to intercourse, hardly a replacement. And saying a women can pleasure herself as well or better by herself than with a partner, well, makes me feel sorry for your partnered sex life. Because sex is far more and far more satisfying than simply orgasming. The fact the secular ‘free love’ crowd relates sex to merely a good orgasm is the worst kind of lie.
“Sex is far more and far more satisfying than simply orgasming. The fact the secular ‘free love’ crowd relates sex to merely a good orgasm is the worst kind of lie.”
Jespren, you nailed it. There’s a whole lot to be said about the wonderful effect of love, marital commitment, and openness to life on the sexual relationship.
yep i bought the lie that marriage was just a piece of paper. i didnt ever want to get married until i realized it is so much better then shacking up. its a bond. yes there have been times ive thought about divorce. all couples have troubles but my husband asked if we could try to work it out. we agreed that some things need to change. we shall see because deep down i dont want a divorce. i just asked God to help me and give me answers.
Jespren, well said.
Denise, sex isn’t just about “pleasure” or even worse someone focusing on only THEIR pleasure. Sex is also about emotional connection. The world has missed out on that. Thats how people justify affairs or promiscuity. Its all about THEIR pleasure, THEIR needs, THEIR orgasm. Sex is nothing more than a physical act. And its a lie that bites them in their a** when they discover the truth a little too late.
75 million or more babies have died because people wanted sexual gratification without consequences.
“the girl’s rapidly swelling belly and birth of new babe can be used as proof positive of incest.”
It’s unethical to treat another human being as a crime scene.
“The flip side of this of course is women who don’t want to abort but the men want them to abort… do they get a say then too”
No, absolutely not. I personally think men should be able to abdicate responsibility up to a certain point in gestation. I don’t have statistics, but I assume the government spends a lot on going after “deadbeat” fathers–money that could be diverted to programs that support women in need. Also, I have a problem with fathers being treated as mere paychecks. But I digress.
“How about getting it out to the girls that they can pleasure themselves as well or better than a partner of either sex?”
I would love to see a study about this! My guess is that it might delay initiation of intercourse by quite a bit.
Putting aside the issue of sex being about more than just pleasure: if my college campus is any indication, other activities like oral sex are already popular and nearly every girl owns a vibrator, and yet, girls get abortions all the time. So Denise’s point is moot.
Not sure how this discussion got so off topic but some of the comments were starting to be a little too NC-17 haha
Got to agree with Kate – none of it matters because abortions are still happening and need to end.
Haha, apologies for my part in the crudeness, Amber. :)
Megan, “it’s unethical to treat another human being as a crime scene” what an incredibly absurd statement. Rape victims are ‘crime scenes’ and have evidence meticulously collected so as to prosecute their rapists, battery victims are ‘crime scenes’ and have evidence meticulously collected as to prosecute their attackers, even an accident victim is part of the crime scene and will have their wounds and and any stray evidence collected. If your body is part of a crime, then your body is part of a crime scene. Victim rights are always considered, but every possible attempt is made to gather as much evidence as possible from the victim. A heel prick blood draw is done in (as far as I know) every state to test for cern genetic diseases upon birth, blood from that, without any further disruption to either the young mother’s or the babies body can be easily used for dna evidence. Or bllod from the cord or placenta may be gathered. In all the states I’m aware of, although that is only a small handful admittedly, an unwed, underage mother must make a formal declaration of any knowledge of the father upon the birth of her child. A victim of any age of course has the right to not seek prosecution, but the D.A. can also seek to prosecute without a complaining witness in some cases (domestic abuse, rape, incest, murder, etc) and birth of an incestous child is all the proof they’d need, without ever having to drag a young women into court who doesn’t want to be.
I repeat, unless you think the best thing for an abuse victim is to be handed back to her abuser, rubber stamped exemptions have NO upside.
Jespren – YES. Agreed.
thats the problem with pro aborts. sex sex sex. i met a 20 something year old girl outside one of the abortion clinic. she was a smart azZ. i asked her if she was going to have an abortion. she smirked “yep” i asked her why and her reply “cuz i love busting a nut ( slang for orgasm) but its not my first abortion and i dont want kids. she shrugged her shoulders and walked into the cliniic.
Heather that is truly sick but sadly, I’ve heard similar from some girls I know. They seriously need our prayers…smh…
i know amber. i dont know if she was going for shock value or if her heart was hard. she wasnt crying or emotional. id say she was in her late 20s or early 30s. she was kind of rough looking. she acted like she was going into McDonalds to get some lunch.
It’s just like the ones who make sick FB groups making fun of abortions and putting up pics of dead babies laughing about it – they are just sick, terrible people. There are those who feel they have no choice or those who have fallen for the lies about women’s choice but call it a “necessary evil” …then there are just sickos.
yeah amber. one day there was a car full of teen girls and we had our graphic signs out. they slammed on the breaks and yelled ” we love abortion.” and “6od invented abortion.”
then they lol. that would be like looking at a pic of a homicide adult victim and cracking up. i wonder if some of these teens today are sociopaths. they scare me.
how could a teen have that much hate in their heart? whats wrong? i wonder if they have pro death moms or dads and the boys are no better. one good lookin teen boy went by on his bike and turned around. he said “haha that head says no name. i wouldnt name that ugly thing either.” ” say if your daughter were raped by a ( slang for black male) wouldnt you make her get rid of it”?
If my daughter were raped by any man of any race that would still be my grandbaby she’d be carrying!
I don’t understand rape analogies. Does the baby being conceived by rape somehow make the baby NOT the woman’s? Kinda misogynistic in a way.
I was reading an article in a magazine about a woman who had an affair and got pregnant. She wasn’t sure if the baby was the lovers or the husbands so she aborted. But the thing is, who care who the father is? She knows that baby is HERS right? The man makes the difference? The sperm donor is the deciding factor? So her contribution of an egg has no redeeming value whatsoever? Just seems sexist to me.
Heather – I am truly sorry you had to deal with those people – I pray that they will grow up and learn the wrong of their ways and make a change. *sigh*
Sydney – AMEN!
yeah that would be my same response. i never would have spoken to an adult that way as a teen anyway. i wasnt raised that way. either these teens have aborted themselves or their parents raise them with no morals. and then a lot of these girls go to nursing school. i dont want you to be my nurse or my kids teacher. not unless you change your ways.
Agreed.
amber thats what is to be expected if youre in front of an abortion clinic. evil sick people. i believe sydney also was threatened while outside of one also. one man in our group was maced. we hear every cruel sick thing you can imagine. but look at what they do to the babies. standing there wont kill me but 4000 babies will still be ripped apart.
Heather, and Amber, completely not excusing their behavior because it was truly un-excusable, but if those teens are anything like the ones I knew in high school, which is to say products of the public school system who were fed patented lies by a Planned Parenthood based sex-ed pro-abortion ‘health’ teacher…they probably thought you were lying and using photoshopped pictures to try to decieve less ‘enlightened’ women, so they felt justified by being as intentionally offensive as possible. to them they weren’t laughing at dead babies, but at the equivelent of a poorly done horror flick, and everyone knows only uncool people are anything but amused by even the worst horror flick. The cool people laugh at even the most gruesome horror films to show how sophisticated they are, a mere fantasy movie can’t push their buttons!
Realistically I find it unlikely any of those teens were actually behaving that way at what *they* thought were dead babies.
Very true and sad, Jespren. Such brain washing.
jespren it could be. when i was in high school we were never taught about abortion. you got your education in the girls bathroom. i hate to say this but someone would majic marker ” jane doe is a baby killer”!
i graduated in 87 so i tend to forget that the schools do teach it. back when i was in school people would just whisper about girls who were easy. and there was one girl who had multiples and it was written on the bathroom walls all over that she was the school sl*t. the abortion stigma was really bad then.
I’m 22 so prob. one of the few who have been to high school recently here – and I went to public school – and we were allowed to even TALK about abortion – pro-life OR pro-“choice” at ALL – not in health, not in an essay in English, not allowed to wear shirts that promoted one or the other.
BUT health classes still teach the morning after pill, BC pill, etc. over responsibility, for the most part.
Senior year I had an AMAZING teacher – legally she still had to teach those things but she was hard core about personal responsibility and respecting yourself, etc.
typo magic marker
really amber…thats interesting. yeah we never talked about abortion back in high school. we did watch a lady give birth in a film though. it was a real hush hush issue back then. even birth control wasnt discussed.
Amber, I’m 29, but my mom is in the public school system, I have younger cousins, and public school is a topic I keep up on like other areas of interest (like pro-life). In my health class in 1999 abortion was listed as one of the “methods of birth control” and the teacher (I had the single pro-life teacher in the health department) was bared from sharing anything negative about it, and *had* to refer to pre-born babies as ‘fetus’ or ’embryo’ or she could be fired. Since then I have read many of the phamplets that PP has created for the school system, watched their ‘made for teen’ information videos, and get regular updates on what’s happening in sex-ed classes all over the nation. Sure, not in all schools, but in a great many students are being taught pregnancy doesn’t occur until “successful implantation”, abortion is a form of birth control with no downsides and a 100% success rate, condoms and the pill are 99% successful (and there are not “serious side effects”), and the only form of sex which is not natural and healthy is no sex. (And that all forms of sex have the same, very low if you use a condom, transmission rates of stds)
Now unfortunally my cell doesn’t track the very long threads very well, and it’s starting to jump All over when I’m typing, so I have to bow out, my cell isn’t going to let me download/comment on this thread anymore. :(
Yeah it really depends on state and local laws, I’m guessing – something we really need to change.
Yes Heather, you are right. I was threatened by a couple college aged males while praying outside of PP during a 40 days for life a few years ago. They threatened to rape me and the couple other women praying there. We had no signs. We were just praying. And it really ticked them off. They drove back and forth several times so I did indeed feel threatened. I don’t believe PP was even open at the time.
I graduated in 98 but I went to a private Christian school which was pro-life so we were allowed to talk about abortion etc.. although I would say it was a topic the students didn’t think much about. I would educate my friends on the topic and they were horrified at what I taught them.
I love seeing the youth of today who are passionately pro-life. My generation definitely wasn’t as pro-life as the current generation who are really vocal and out there fighting for life! I often wonder how my sons will be when they are teens. We have all the ultrasounds of him as an embryo and a fetus. Its hard to fight for the destruction of fetal human beings when you have your own ultrasounds, I think. At least I hope it would be.
It was so good of a reply I thought I would just repeat it:
Because a) men don’t get pregnant. b) men don’t want to mess with anything that might hurt their reproductive parts c) it’s so much easier for men to let women carry the entire burden of managing pregnancy. After all, it’s her body, her choice. What’s the man got to do with it anyway?
Ms. needs to connect the dots a little further and admit that contraception only further enslaves women to men. It only accentuates the so-called disparity between the sexes and further places men and women at odds with each other, usually to the woman’s disadvantage.
On the other hand, a moral and right understanding of human sexuality, reproduction and marriage makes men and women true partners, sharing in the responsibility and joy of reproduction. Win-win for the adults and win for the children they help create. You’d almost think God and the Church know what they’re talking about. :)
Tyler,
Sure, except for the not-very-unique cases like mine, where the woman takes the pill because she wants to (who am I “enslaved” to if I started taking it before I ever even dated?), and the man uses a condom because they both want to, and its win-win for the adults, and win for the children they’ll create when they’re ready. You’d almost think people in mature relationships know how to make decisions together and do whats best for themselves as individuals and as a couple.
Amber, I’m on the young end with you–21–and my high school experience was similar to yours. We didn’t even learn about fetal development, which I find quite strange. After I graduated, though, my high school hired a new health teacher who implemented an abstinence curriculum. My younger sister took it–I should ask her sometime what it entailed.
Kate – we learned about genetics and fetal development, etc. in science in 8th grade and while some students were sexually active then, most weren’t until at least 10th grade – by which time many had forgotten the details of 8th grade haha.
Modern Natural Family Planning (NFP) requires the cooperation of both husband and wife, is more effective than the Pill or condoms, builds intimacy, and is 100% free of side-effects. It doesn’t pollute drinking water either, like hormonal contraceptives. Men and women share responsibility equally. Fertility is respected. Learn more through the Couple to Couple League.
I’m very late to the discussion…
It’s a good question. I guess my answer is this: Why would men willingly mutilate themselves chemically, set themselves up for possible cancer and reproductive sequelae in the future, when women have shown far less self-concern and self-respect? If women are willing to incur all of that for orgasms that don’t produce babies, isn’t that their choice? Isn’t that the bill of goods sold to women by the feminist leadership? Emancipation in a bottle of pills was women’s modern-day exodus and route to the promised land of equal employment and higher education.
Women have been poisoning themselves in the name of college degrees, careers, upward socio-economic mobility, and consequence-free orgasms. When men (and I’m thinking of the Catholic Bishops) objected to this course of action, they were savaged by the feminist leadership.
Now, if women are waking up to the dangers of contraception and abortion I say it’s about time.
However, the answer is not for men to begin poisoning themselves. The answer is a long overdue examination of what sex is all about, its right use, and the obligations of men and women toward one another.
Somehow I just don’t see reciprocity in self-administration of poison factoring into all of that.
Gerard, are you as vitriolic about ALL prescription medications – or just ones that have to do with sex?
Lets consider, for example, my options when it comes to migraine management:
– there are a whole lot of pain killers out there. I tried percocet -those made me violently ill within about 10 minutes of swallowing the pill. Since the pain of a migraine is more tolerable than literally not being able to keep food down, those didn’t work. Do you call those “poison”? Just curious.
– then there are a dozen or so different barbituates or narcotic meds. I don’t even need to get in to detail about why I can’t take those to manage migraines and also be a full time grad student with a job and responsibilities. Are those drugs “poison”?
– and there are the migraine specific triptans. But those need to be taken daily – for life – not just when you get a migraine. The side effects of those were tightness in my throat (not pleasant), a stiff neck, and being extremely sleepy – again, not going to work with my schedule.
Guess what works, and has continued to work, for over 10 years, with no side effects (unless you consider clear skin and a clockwork period with no cramps a side effect)? the pill. I’ve gone off of it twice just to see if hormone levels had changed now that Im older and maybe I wouldn’t get the migraines anymore – but nope – within 2 or 3 weeks of being off, theres a migraine. We’re going to have a baby after I finish my fellowship, and NONE of the pain medications prescribed for migraines are safe to take if you are trying to conceive – so again, I just want to clarify – do you consider ALL of those drugs poison? My neurologist says that once I’m a couple of weeks in to pregnancy, I will not get the migraines – as they are hormone related. So hopefully I can get through that in-between time without too much misery.
Honestly, because men are cowards. The temptation is very strong to put your sex-object at risk rather than yourself, and in this culture, there is almost no support for men who try to stand up to that temptation.
Disclaimer: I am NOT speaking from experience. My wife does not take contraceptives.
Amanda, taking pills to cure a disease or malady is one thing. What exactly are birth control pills “curing”? your body is SUPPOSED to ovulate each month. Thats natural. Taking synthetic hormones to stop ovulation and thin your uterine lining is NOT natural. Its downright dangerous for the body. And you want men to stoop to that level?
I think Gerard hit the nail on the head. If women are willing to ingest such poisons… so sad for them. To expect men to do so too? Please. How bout we abandon the whole bc pill and see it for the poison it is?
And btw, stop with the stupid “you must hate sex” hysteria. Been down that road. You will find the majority of pro-lifers here are married and have quite a few children. We like sex. Trust me. Sex is awesome. Thats why we try to show it the respect it deserves.
“Amanda, taking pills to cure a disease or malady is one thing. What exactly are birth control pills “curing”?”
Migraines. They cured my migraines. Pretty much instantly. Without side effects.
And I never said anything about hating sex, or accused anyone of hating sex. If I did, please quote me on it.
I have crazy deadly migraines and I take a prescription for it that doesn’t do anything to my reproductive system.
I know some people who have gone on “the pill” for various reasons and I’ve always wondered if they’d gotten a second opinion – whenever I ask the answer is no. I don’t know about your case but there seems to be other options out there.
Amanda–try Topomax.
Amber – I saw 3 different doctors. First my PCP, who prescribed percocets to be taken when I had a headache. The result was that I spent the day throwing up and sleeping. Then I went to a neurologist, who prescribed Imitrex to be taken daily. The result was severe drowsiness – falling asleep in class, and a really uncomfortable stiff/tight feeling in my throat. But she did tell me that my migraines were hormonal, and said birth control was an option. I declined and dealt with it for a year. When I’d had enough, I went to a gyno, who prescribed the pill.
Like i said, I think its interesting that the pill gets the “posion” label – but guess what – you can’t take Imitrex (or most medications, for that matter) if you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant – so how or why are those better alternatives?
Courtnay,
Directly from their website:
If you take TOPAMAX® during pregnancy, your baby has a higher risk for birth defects called cleft lip and cleft palate. These defects can begin early in pregnancy, even before you know you are pregnant. There may be other medicines to treat your condition that have a lower chance of birth defects. All women of childbearing age should talk to their healthcare providers about using other possible treatments instead of TOPAMAX®. If the decision is made to use TOPAMAX®, you should use effective birth control (contraception).
(so this would be better than the pill, how, exactly?)
Amanda,
Ultimately, the answer to your question is a great big yes. Read the product insert for any medication. They all discuss toxicity, adverse effects, and contraindications. That’s why the manufacturers say, “Ask your doctor if XXX is right for you.”
Sex isn’t a migraine, although the lack of it has been known to induce them in men ;-)
Sex isn’t a malady, though its lack sure is. Yes, many medications are also toxic. Their use needs to be weighed against the severity of the condition for which they are being prescribed as a remedy. Sex is not a malady, is not life-threatening, but rather, it is life-giving and affirming. Poisoning oneself in preparation for sex is hideous, as is the tolerance of one’s partner doing so.
Osteopathic and Chiropractic manipulations of the neck often reduce and even eliminate future migraines (no chemicals required). Check it out.
amanda i sympathize also because i am a migraine sufferer too. omg i used to get some that would last for 3 days. one was so bad i had to go to to the ER and they gave me percocet. as soon as i left the hospital i told my boyfriend to pull the car over and puked my brains out. anyway imitrex was given to me and that tight throat is a side effect. mine was only to be taken when a migraine hit. do you know why you were told to take it every day?
Amanda, you made a dig at Gerard about is he vitriolic about all prescriptions or only ones having to do with sex. You were insinuating that somehow he (or by extension, all of us speaking out against the pill) are prudes and offended by sex. Thats immature.
You can’t take the pill while you’re pregnant either btw so whats your point about Topomax?
LOLOLOLOL – Sydney, you read so far in to that I’m afraid you might pop your head out in the middle of China, as my Dad loves to say. The fact that you came out with a whole paragraph of what I was apparently “insinuating” by my asking Gerard if he only considers sexual-related medications to be poison says way more about you than it says about me. But anyway. No – thats not what I was “insinuating”. At all. LOL.
The point about Topomax, is that its just as, if not even more toxic than the pill.
Heather – yeah, took about 10 minutes for it to get in to my system before I spent half an hour retching. Pretty gross. I think there may be two different versions of Imitrex – the one I was prescribed was the “once daily”. The throat thing was unpleasant, but it was the drowsiness that I couldn’t deal with. The whole point of medicating was so that I could still go to school – haha, sort of defeated the purpose if I slept through it :)
Gerard – mine are caused by my estrogen levels changing throughout my cycle. Adjusting my cervical spine is not going to alter my estrogen levels. My aunt had the same problem – and fortunately they went away when she was pregnant, and she has them less often as she gets older. Im just hoping mine go the same way!!
As to your explanation, I’m relieved at least that you acknowledge ALL medications could meet the definition of “poison”. The issue of what is, or is not considered a “malady” is far too subjective for me to ever be comfortable with anyone outside of a patient and his or her doctor deciding if the risks of medication outweigh the benefits.
i have never heard of the pill helping a migaine. thats why i was curious.
Heather:
Here is some info: http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/hormones-headaches
do you still get them?
well amanda this is interesting… i do but not as much as i used to. i was on the depo provera shot for many years. after reading about the side effects i discovered that one of the depo side effects was migrains! also as youve probably been informed alcohol chocolate cheese and other foods are triggers. im happy to say that after getting off depo my migraines have pretty much stopped. i had all the side effects you did on imitrex but my headaches would go away within 25 minutes or so. i found the side effects to be a lot better then the actual beast of a headache. i also agree with dr nadal because ive noticed that often the pain would start in my neck. i have back problems to begin with but i also had a cat scan. they ruled out any serious condition. but never did any MD offer me birth control to treat. now i will read your link.
need to correct my post. i kind of double talked. my headaches have indeed decreased since ditching the depo but if i do get a tension headache sometimes they turn into migraines. i have imitrex on hand but i havent had to take one in quite some time.
Amanda, I’m sorry you’re suffering from migraines. I use to suffer from migraines. Used Maxalt for a while. Gave me a certain amount of relief, but it gave me drowsy affect. As years went by and now being late postmenopausal, I never get a migraine.
Do you experience the visual symptoms? It’s very rare but I do experience the visual symptoms (, i.e., zigzag patterns w/some minimal blind spots). It usually goes away rather quickly but no migraine. I’m very thankful for that.
Back in my poor choice days, I took oral contraceptives, which I still believe that is one of the main reasons why I went into early menopause. Also, I’ve read that research suggests there may be a link to women who use oral contraceptives for a migraine & their risk of a stroke.
I know some women who went to the Diamond Headache Clinic (quite a number of years ago) in Chicago, who refused to be on birth control pills. Their results were quite successful in using other forms of treatment for their migraines.
I heard about a low Tyramine diet to reduce migraines. Have you tried B-2? Never tried these, but I thought you might like the info. Also, have you checked to see if you have any thyroid issues?
Feel better soon, Amanda and Heather.
thanks carol;) yes i had the visual problems and oh the nausea. even any noise at all just made me feel like someone was drilling a hole through my temples. sometimes eye strain will bring them on. one time my eyes looked swollen shut. ice and a dark room didnt help much. oh are they awful.
Okay, whatever Amanda. I’ve read many comments by pro-aborts who come here and go off on tangents about how we’re anti-sex blah blah blah. You sounded just like one of them. If thats not why you meant why even bring sex into it at all? Cause its exactly the silly little road you wanted to go down, thats why.
Stick to the topic then.
right sydney…back on course. i dont think id have 4 kids if i didnt like sex.. but its better when you are married and in love.
Perhaps the reason there is little interest in male contraception is that for men, contraception involves morality: not wanting to injure someone else.
For women, contraception involves self-interest: not wanting to injure themselves.
Men have little interest in contraception simply because they don’t get pregnant. But they should be responsible enough in birth control.It should be fair for both parties. If they take pills,then they will feel what women feels. :)
I also take pills and it really gives me headache and sometimes nausea. I have no choice but take it than being pregnant in no time:) But it will be a blessing if it will come. But my man advised me to take pill because he is responsible and he knows that it’s not easy to be pregnant.:)
I suggest this book to everyone – a scientific and medical look at “birth control” pills.
It’s only $1.99 on Amazon, and not that long of a read – but could save lives.
http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Control-Cause-Abortions-ebook/dp/B0045JL57Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326227676&sr=8-2