The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

[n2doc]

Posted by Jon Clinkenbeard. March 26, 2012, 11:25 AM CDT

If I were going to describe the perfect contraceptive, it would go something like this: no babies, no latex, no daily pill to remember, no hormones to interfere with mood or sex drive, no negative health effects whatsoever, and 100 percent effectiveness. The funny thing is, something like that currently exists.

The procedure called RISUG in India (reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance) takes about 15 minutes with a doctor, is effective after about three days, and lasts for 10 or more years. A doctor applies some local anesthetic, makes a small pinhole in the base of the scrotum, reaches in with a pair of very thin forceps, and pulls out the small white vas deferens tube. Then, the doctor injects the polymer gel (called Vasalgel here in the US), pushes the vas deferens back inside, repeats the process for the other vas deferens, puts a Band-Aid over the small hole, and the man is on his way. If this all sounds incredibly simple and inexpensive, that’s because it is. The chemicals themselves cost less than the syringe used to administer them. But the science of what happens next is the really fascinating part.

The two common chemicals — styrene maleic anhydride and dimethyl sulfoxide — form a polymer that thickens over the next 72 hours, much like a pliable epoxy, but the purpose of these chemicals isn’t to harden and block the vas deferens. Instead, the polymer lines the wall of the vas deferens and allows sperm to flow freely down the middle (this prevents any pressure buildup), and because of the polymer’s pattern of negative/positive polarization, the sperm are torn apart through the polyelectrolytic effect. On a molecular level, it’s what supervillains envision will happen when they stick the good guy between two huge magnets and flip the switch.



more

http://techcitement.com/culture/the-best-birth-control-in-the-world-is-for-men/

[jpgray]

1. I have no idea why this isn't more readily available or marketed

Beats a vasectomy from what I've read. Maybe it's the cheapness?

[LWolf]

2. I think it's this part:

"And if men only need one super-cheap shot every 10 years 0r more, that’s not something that gets big pharmaceutical companies all fired up, because they’ll make zero money on it (even if it might have the side benefit of, you know, destroying HIV)."

[TheWraith]

9. Sigh.

Out of curiosity, does anyone think that the incredibly generic and patentless currently available birth control options are a big profit center?

The paranoia displayed here about any kind of pharmaceuticals is disappointing.

[LWolf]

29. They earn bigger profits

than a once a decade shot that costs less than the hypodermic, anyway.

If I were really paranoid, I'd think that the right-wing effort to make birth control harder to get might also make it more costly.

In reality, I think that most birth control options currently available are flawed. They all have downsides, some more than others.

IF the method under discussion here had been available at the time, and as presented, I would have taken my teenage sons in a heartbeat.

[Cleita]

10. No money in it for the PhRMA industry. n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

23. Not available because it is still expereimental.

Closer reading mentions asking people to sign up for clinical trials.

[rug]

3. I stpped reading.

"A doctor applies some local anesthetic, makes a small pinhole in the base of the scrotum, reaches in with a pair of very thin forceps, and pulls out the small white vas deferens tube"

[TalkingDog]

7. And THAT is exactly why male birth control has never been popular.

not dissing you rug, just pointing out the obvious.

[rug]

8. Dis me all you want but keep those forceps out of my scrotal pinhole.

[Cleita]

11. Now you know why the women are screaming about the

vaginal ultrasound law.

[rug]

12. That too . . . but scrotal pinholes . . .

[Cleita]

13. What pussies.

When we get a pap smear, they stick a sissor like thing up our hoohas and snip a specimen from our uterine wall to go to the lab. It's not fun.

[rug]

15. Well, hell.

TMI.

[intheflow]

17. The reality of a standard medical procedure is "TMI" for you?

smh

[rug]

18. Absolutely.

[Cleita]

22. Apologies.

I didn't mean to upset you, but make a small point.

[Oilwellian]

30. Uh, that would be...

a small pinpoint.

[gkhouston]

19. Um, that sounds like an endometrial biopsy, not a pap smear.

The pap smear is the one where they scrape your cervix--instead of snipping, they sort of rake you.

[Cleita]

20. Yeah I guess. It's what they do

to me to get a paps smear.

[CTyankee]

33. What always annoyed me was the way the pap test was called "painless." It most certainly

was not for me and a lot of other women. It wasn't unbearable but it was unpleasant. I finally found a gynecologist, a woman, who agreed with me.

[LiberalFighter]

27. How much different is this then getting a vascetomy?

Might be less painful and less expensive.

[customerserviceguy]

4. Interesting

The prevention of pressure build-up is important, the body naturally acts to produce antibodies that consume excess sperm, this is why vasectomy reversal is sometimes unsuccessful.

[BOHICA12]

5. Watch out for a three vas man ........ surprise!!!!!!!!

Now clipping tying and frying - followed by testing - that's effective!!!!!

[uppityperson]

6. Very interesting, thank you. Bet recovery is faster than with a vasectomy also.

[teewrex]

14. It's not more readily available because there are too many men who think they

have lost their manhood when they lose their ability to impregnate a woman.

[LadyHawkAZ]

16. Or get squeamish about getting a needle in the nuts.

Why bother when you can make the lil woman take a pill?

[Dokkie]

25. or put on a fricken condum

yea, condoms suck pretty bad but I will wear a glove before I sign up for that procedure. Ofc if that was the ONLY option available then I will reconsider

[Fawke Em]

26. Not my guy.

I sat in the office while he had the procedure done. He didn't feel a thing, got some good drugs for recovery and got to lay in bed for three days.

The worst part of it was his having to wear tighty-whities for a few days (he's a boxer man).

[HughBeaumont]

34. I never, NEVER understood that.

Who the hell WANTS the ability to impregnate a woman only for the purpose of being able to? The earth has enough people that we cannot take care of. Usually, people who talk all that mess are not so surprisingly lax when it comes to actually providing for and raising the child.

I knew right off I wouldn't be able to handle more than one kid financially and emotionally, so I went ahead and stopped the baby maker for good. I'm not any "less of a man" because of it; it all works the same and just fine, thanks.

[Elwood P Dowd]

21. I knew this guy who had a vasectomy several years ago.

He and the wife already had three kids, and she was having all kinds of health issues with birth control pills. He decided to have a vasectomy and put an end to the problems. Well, they separated and finally divorced a few years later. Turns out all her complaints about the pill were just an excuse to cover up the fact that she hated sex and hated being a mother. He even got the kids. She never remarried and is still a royal *****. He met a lady that was interested in a t-shirt he wore to a party that said, "I can get it up, but I can't knock you up". They are now happily married.

[redqueen]

24. Cool story bro.

[LiberalFighter]

28. Never thought of having a shirt made up with that.

Damn might had made more connections.

[Tx4obama]

31. Additional article on the link below

Male Birth Control: New Procedure Is 100 Percent Effective, Reversible

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/male-birth-control-reversible_n_1400708.html

[HughBeaumont]

32. Still glad I got the vasectomy over this.

Less invasive (everything is done above the surface), permament (when I wanted a PERMANENT means of never having kids, that's kind of what I was going for) and the idea of a polymer solvent in my body doesn't sound all that appealing.

Is reversibility the selling point?