Hey girls, try to talk your guy into that one, just for fun:
Ultrasound could be used as a reversible contraceptive for men, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina, who say a blast to the testes safely stops sperm production for up to six months. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has provided $100,000 to push head clinical trials, the BBC reports, in hopes of offering a new method of birth control. “We think this could provide men with up to six months of reliable, low-cost, non-hormonal contraception from a single round of treatment,” lead researcher Dr. James Tsuruta said. “Our long-term goal is to use ultrasound from therapeutic instruments that are commonly found in sports medicine or physical therapy clinics as an inexpensive, long-term, reversible male contraceptive suitable for use in developing to first world countries.”
It could be me (I’ve been known to be on the crusty old goat side of things), but I find these kinds of stories drab and depressing. I mean, isn’t sex supposed to be fun?
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“…suitable for use in developing to first world countries.” I’m not sure how readily available ultrasound machines are in ‘developing’ countries. While I don’t think sterilizing yourself with radiation for 6 months is generally the best idea for anyone, I really dislike the idea of using this technique in developing nations. They’re already promoting the idea of sterilization to men in China (see related article here: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/thousands-risk-forced-sterilization-china-2010-04-22), my fear is misinformed or coerced men sterilizing themselves unknowingly.
Family Health International is diligently working on this issue. From their site: “Experts say that, particularly in developing countries, a nonsurgical method of male or female sterilization would be beneficial for several reasons. Shortages of facilities, physicians and anesthesia specialists in rural areas create a barrier to surgical sterilization.” This doesn’t stop the spread of disease, so why exactly do we want the poor to stop procreating again?
You wouldn’t want the wrong sort of people to procreate unchecked, now would you? OK, so they’re not saying it quite that bluntly, but very often that is what’s behind this urge to foist aggressive birth control on the developing world. Then there’s the folks who don’t want people to procreate, period, because the earth is too precious to clutter it up with (ugh) people. Me, I just got a big belly laugh out of that story. I personally do not know one normal healthy guy who would voluntarily get himself blasted with ultrasound in order to secure sterile sex for 6 months. Go ahead and ask the guys around you. Watch them blanch.
I’ll keep a diary of the results to report back! 🙂
That was my thought too, the guys would be off and running in the opposite direction of course.
Brigitte, change of topic here. Jill Stanek has a column today about female genital mutilation – I know this has been an interest of your from previous posts.
http://www.jillstanek.com
Not to quibble, but of course ultrasound and radiation are completely different things and while radiation might indeed ‘sterilize’ an individual, I don’t think that’s at all what the researchers are looking into with regard to ultrasound. I think it’s an intriguing concept. Too many modern forms of birth control (assuming you accept it as an important option for most couples) rely on females manipulating their hormone levels and possibly affecting their long-term fertility.
Ummm….
Speaking as a man. No.
Who thinks of this stuff?
The manufacturers of the pill thought that women would reject the pill en masse because they didn’t think that women would accept the idea that their bodies needed changing. Who knows? With some really powerful PR maybe men can be convinced that they, too, need to alter their body’s system (how does this work, actually?) in order to achieve their true sexual potential. Isn’t sexual liberation grand?
By the way, read the comments under the Macleans article. Quite entertaining.
From the annals of “we know what is better for you poor folk than you do for yourselves,” here is a lead on forced sterilization occurring in Uzbekistan: http://catholicexchange.com/2010/05/12/130222/
I think I recall reading in Barbara Seaman’s excellent book about The Pill that initially there were tests to introduce a male hormonal contraception. But one or two men experienced some minor side effects and the whole thing was dropped. Not so with women, however. I believe one or two women died in testing The Pill but it was just a big ole’ green light.
Germaine Greer wrote a comprehensive book a few years back of 3rd world testing of the pill, and other contraceptives. The death rate, and rate of illness, and lack of treatment were quite horrible. The approach was totally utilitarian, and the women were treated like lab rats or worse.
All else aside, why should it be called treatment? What disease is being treated here?