Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    Putting words into my husband's mouth (thank God he can't hear me!),
    I think he would be willing to take a male pill, and would do his
    best to be responsible about it.  But, knowing his character, he
    would likely be forgetful and I would have to remind him of it.
    Details are not his strong point.  I guess this would make it a
    joing responsibility.
    
    Did the responses in MENNOTES address the issue of psychological
    effects of taking birth control pills, i.e. do you think men would
    feel it would affect their virility as well as their fertility?
    This is often an issue regarding vasectomies.
    
    Gloria

>    Did the responses in MENNOTES address the issue of psychological
>    effects of taking birth control pills, i.e. do you think men would
>    feel it would affect their virility as well as their fertility?
>    This is often an issue regarding vasectomies.


No it didn't actually, I'm intending to reawaken the topic when everyone 
has found the 2B node again (it moved recently, and people have trouble 
finding it till their network dbs get updated). I'll see if I can prod the 
discussion along that line. For me, that wouldn't concern me one jot, what 
would, though, is the thought of side effects and the body in a constantly 
'drugged' condition.

    I'm much less susceptible to the side-effects of drugs (prescription
    and over-the-counter) than my honey. Also, as in .1, he isn't very
    good at remembering day-to-day details (I'm our memory). It's much
    easier to remind myself (since I do it when I remember) than to
    remind him and make sure he does it now, or remind him again.
    
    Also, as a son of a doctor, he has a much more scepticle view of
    drugs. I'm not sure what we'd do if, say, after I turned 35, the
    male pill was safe for him, but the female pill was not for me.
    If I get more details, I'll insert them.
    	Mez

    I'm curious as to why the first two responses mentioned that their
    spouses couldn't be held responsible for remembering to take the
    pill.  (no flames intended).
    
    It seems to me that any man or woman should have the responsibility
    to take "medicine" on their own.  If the man were taking high blood
    pressure pills, or insulin for diabetes, would he forget?  Most
    likely not.  If the man "forgot," it is, perhaps, a subconcious
    desire to avoid having the responsibility for birth control.
    
    Just a thought.
      
    
    

    re: .4
    
    wrong-o mooseface (as a friend of mine would say :-)). My sweetie
    (god bless his pointed ears) would forget anything that did not
    provide him with a tangible reminder. He *would* remember to take
    a drug that blocked some sort of pain, only when the pain started.
    He remembers an appointment, because a note is pasted eye-high on
    the door out. He *would* forget insulin until he got into the habit.
    It would be the same with BCP.
    
    He is *much more responsible* about practical things than I am. But if
    it's something new, or something intermittant, forget it. BCP for him
    would DEFINATELY be new. 

    It's funny; it took me a while to understand this. It was easy for
    me to think "he just doesn't care" when he forgot something. NOT
    SO. He thinks differently than I do. I'm better at remembering events
    in time. He's better at knowing how to take care of stuff. I'm a
    multi-stream thinker. He's a single-stream thinker.
    
    It's an interesting thought, but it's not a good idea to assume
    anyone is capable of what you're capable of. Easy for physical stuff;
    often harder for mental stuff.
    	Mez

    re: .4,.5
    
    Have to agree with Mez.  My SO is simply the kind of person who
    forgets everything unless it is painted in red ink all over the
    walls.
    
    G

    I have often discussed this issue with my husband who although willing
    would never the less still be very reluctant.  We recently attended
    a party with several couples and the discussion at one point turned
    to this, it was the general concensis of the husbands that they
    felt that they were not opposed to the idea but that they would
    prefer the wife to take the precausions since and i quote "They
    are the ones who would get pregnant and have to decide whether or
    not they wanted to have children."
    
    In the case of single women until you were sure that the person
    you are intending to have sex with is:
    
    A) Honest
    B) Dependable 
    C) Trustworthy
    
    I don't feel that it would be worth the risk of not having some
    form of birth control of your own to fall back on.  After all it
    is not just women who lie about taking birth control for whatever
    reasons that they may have.  And you are still your best protection
    against pregnancy as well as infections.

    Many years ago I lived next door to a single man who was openly
    *very* promiscuous. I became friends (only!) with him, and once
    asked him, why, if he had no intention of ever marrying, he hadn't
    had a vasectomy. His response? it had never occured to him to do
    so. sigh.......