Headlines such as USA Today’s “Male birth control study nixed after men can’t handle side effects women face daily,” or Cosmopolitan’s “Men quit male birth control study because it was giving them mood swings; Welcome to the club, dudes. Also WOMAN UP” were just a few of the negative reactions to the recent shutdown of a male birth control study. 

The study, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, tested a hormonal birth control shot on 320 healthy men between the ages of 18 and 45 starting in September 2008. The injection of 200 mg of a derivative of progesterone and estrogen and 1000 mg of a synthetic form of testosterone caused severe side effects that shut the study down early, though the form of contraception was found 96 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.

This is where complaints come in. Many were quick to blame the failure of this study on the weakness of male participants – hence the distasteful headlines – but they were so stuck on the idea of shaming these men that they overlooked one significant piece of information: The side effects were incredibly severe.

The study itself, in fact, states that the Research Project Review Panel, an independent committee monitoring the trial, shut down the study after reviewing reports of severe mood swings, depression, increased libido and injection site pain. Rarer side effects included night sweats, testicular pain and confusion. One participant committed suicide, though researchers said this was not due to the injection.

“Whoopdee do,” some may say. “Women on birth control have to go through that nonsense every day.” There’s the bigger problem.

Through the use of hormonal birth control, women subject themselves to alterations and side effects that are potentially dangerous and unnecessary. Along with the standard decreased libido, mood disorders and acne, hormonal birth control side effects include increased risk of cervical and liver cancer, higher blood pressure, worsening of gallbladder disease, blood clots and, more rarely, heart attacks and stroke. Studies have shown that hormonal birth control greatly increases depression and it alters a woman’s taste in potential mates. Though some may still wish to risk the side effects, it is best to have total awareness of how much imbalance hormonal birth control causes within our bodies.

All things considered, instead of playing the blame game and condemning men for not wishing to put up with birth control side effects, we might want to reconsider what we as women are willing to risk and alter in our bodies.

Letizia Mariani can be reached at mari8259@stthomas.edu