Because ultimately, children have a much larger impact on women's lives than on men's lives.

Prior to the pill, women were expected to marry, stay home, and have as many babies as possible. Having a child outside of marriage had devastating consequences for women, while a man could walk away with little problem. For married women, more children meant you had more responsibilities at home and couldn't work.

The Pill meant that women could have more rights, and women fought hard for birth control access so they could have more rights (in many states, it was illegal for women to take the pill until 1972). Men didn't have to fight for the right for a pill because they could still prioritize work or decide not to care for their children with little consequence. And of course, men aren't the ones who go through pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

Even today, there's still a greater impact on women. Women are the ones who usually give up or mommy track their career. I know dozens of fathers who have chosen to put their careers first and moved away from their kids. I've never known any mother who has done that. When my xH and I split, he freaked out that having 50/50 custody of our children would mean his career would be slowed for a few years (without ever realizing that I had done exactly that for several years).

So when you're the one who is giving up your body, career, and doing the bulk of the work, you're going to be a LOT more careful.

The only way men will start taking birth control more seriously is if they are held accountable. Which means NOT having sex with men who won't take responsibility, and holding fathers to the same standards as mothers when it comes to childcare.

I do see things changing. I know a ton of men who have gotten vasectomies, and the men I've dated recently always come prepared with condoms (compared to my 20s, when they would try to talk me into pull-out method). I'm on the pill, but my current partner made it clear that if I ever want to go off of it for health reasons, he'd happily take on the birth control burden.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The male pills haven't done well because (hahahahaha) they have side effects. Ooooh nooo-as if female pills don't. Definitely a double standard.

But actually as a practical matter, I'm not sure (as a woman) that I'd be willing to trust that most men were taking a pill correctly. And then the burden of any pregnancy (abortion, miscarriage, carrying to term) falls on...the woman.

+1. Male hormonal contraception caused acne and depression in some patients, and therefore was deemed unsafe. Hmm, what other types of hormonal contraception have those same side effects and yet are completely mainstream?

And where is the noise about this? Why do women just accept this? I have slightly more hope in the younger generation Gen Z and younger.

Follow up question what would you or what have taught your sons regarding birth control?

Anonymous wrote:The male pills haven't done well because (hahahahaha) they have side effects. Ooooh nooo-as if female pills don't. Definitely a double standard.

But actually as a practical matter, I'm not sure (as a woman) that I'd be willing to trust that most men were taking a pill correctly. And then the burden of any pregnancy (abortion, miscarriage, carrying to term) falls on...the woman.

+1. Male hormonal contraception caused acne and depression in some patients, and therefore was deemed unsafe. Hmm, what other types of hormonal contraception have those same side effects and yet are completely mainstream?

Anonymous wrote:PS [17:16] I also think this topic should be part of premarital counseling, which I strongly believe in.

I absolutely agree with you on that.

Personally, I don't involve myself with any men that think I should be solely responsible for birth control..

Anonymous wrote:The male pills haven't done well because (hahahahaha) they have side effects. Ooooh nooo-as if female pills don't. Definitely a double standard.

But actually as a practical matter, I'm not sure (as a woman) that I'd be willing to trust that most men were taking a pill correctly. And then the burden of any pregnancy (abortion, miscarriage, carrying to term) falls on...the woman.

Again catering to male comfort under the guise of female empowerment.

PS [17:16] I also think this topic should be part of premarital counseling, which I strongly believe in.

Anonymous wrote:Because nature is brutal and when you bear 99% of the liability of an event, you better be the one with the insurance policy.

So we have been conditioned to believe.

We can't expect men to be responsible.

We must responsible for ourselves and them.

We are foolish to expect a man to do XYZ

The most important thing is to have a husband, and not inconvenience him in any way so he doesn't cheat on us

This is how we prove our independence and true feminism.

The male pills haven't done well because (hahahahaha) they have side effects. Ooooh nooo-as if female pills don't. Definitely a double standard.

But actually as a practical matter, I'm not sure (as a woman) that I'd be willing to trust that most men were taking a pill correctly. And then the burden of any pregnancy (abortion, miscarriage, carrying to term) falls on...the woman.

Because nature is brutal and when you bear 99% of the liability of an event, you better be the one with the insurance policy.

Women put up with too many side effects. I’ve always used condoms religiously, plus avoided sex during the days I am most fertile. I’m not putting up with the side effects of those other drugs or devices. If more women were like me, ther would be better birth control available for both men and women, plus more men would get vasectomies.

I don’t get women who put up with side effects or get tubals because men refuse to take responsibility.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is birth control seen as a women's responsibility primarily?

A male contraceptive pill is in development, men would you be willing to take it?

The legalization of abortion in the US has allowed to focus to stay on women’s bodies. Men don’t usually see unplanned pregnancy as a men’s health issue.

... which is ironic, since the person most gravely affected is the baby.

It's very telling that there are few replies to this.

Anonymous wrote:Why is birth control seen as a women's responsibility primarily?

A male contraceptive pill is in development, men would you be willing to take it?

The legalization of abortion in the US has allowed to focus to stay on women’s bodies. Men don’t usually see unplanned pregnancy as a men’s health issue.

Why is birth control seen as a women's responsibility primarily?

A male contraceptive pill is in development, men would you be willing to take it?