Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson of obstetrics and gynaecology at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, said as well as focusing on men’s attitudes towards male contraception in different regions, institutional teaching also needs to be examined to further interest and change perceptions surrounding birth control responsibilities.
Image/ René Melia
With more focus on issues surrounding gender roles in recent times, Gemzell-Danielsson said a bigger interest in new methods of male contraception is due to changing perceptions of responsibility for family planning between partners.
Gemzell-Danielsson has co-led the study to find a new contraceptive method for men, being a contraceptive gel, which has included 420 couples around the world, according to Svt, Sweden’s television broadcaster.
Today, over 65% of women believe contraceptive responsibility leans on them and stated that it is a ‘strongly gendered’ notion, according to Gemzell-Danielsson’s co-authored book Female and Male Contraception.
Gemzell-Danielsson stated that currently, young men don’t have other options to control their fertility besides condoms and vasectomies; she stated that it is time for that to change.
“It’s not just the responsibility of women, but a joint responsibility”.
Gemzell-Danielsson explained that while theoretical discussions of action are healthy, knowledge of ongoing practices must be considered.
For example, The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics global survey, ‘Are sexual and reproductive health rights taught in medical school?’ investigated the curriculum of medical schools to examine if family planning and comprehensive teaching was included efficiently.
According to the survey, most respondents described the teaching of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) as something the academic and medical community should do to generate change and advance women’s rights.
"...there is actually a majority of men who would be willing to use this method if it was available" Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson
A risk and challenge presented to tarnish SRHR learning in medical schools across the globe is that there are “some issues not acceptable culturally and in the national interests”.
Developed regions hold a 73% reliance on female methods, which is also due to a lack of studies in reproductive health care for men.
Although the discussion of new male contraceptive methods has been surrounded by criticism and scepticism, “various surveys or studies that have been done in different countries [show] there is actually a majority of men who would be willing to use this method if it was available.” said Gemzell-Danielsson.
When asked when such contraceptive methods for men will be available in the market, the expert said, “[possibly] 10 years… But it could be five to seven years…it depends on funding and interest and so on…in the best of worlds? As soon as possible”.
*Updated on 21 March 2023.
