Women’s Day: how to counter the “contraceptive mental burden”?

Even today, contraception relies mainly on women, some of whom experience a real mental burden. “In the minds of the greatest number, contraception relies solely on the woman, despite the considerable mental load that this can create. However, there are contraceptive solutions dedicated to men, which we do not talk about or very much little…”, remind the association Love Your Cycleon the occasion of International Women’s Day this Monday, March 8.

Alternatives to condoms

Male contraception does not stop with condoms. First, withdrawal at the time of ejaculation can be considered, as can a quarterly hormonal injection. Other solutions exist, such as the Andro-Switch or even heated briefs, which offer contraception without taking hormones and are reversible.

The andro-switch is a silicone ring which should allow the testicles to be held at the entrance to the inguinal canal. It exists in 5 sizes to adapt to the anatomy of the user. In Toulouse, Doctor Mieusset developed the technique of “heated briefs”which consists of slightly increasing the temperature of the testicles using body heat and suitable underwear. “I did it myself, it’s a bit of a prototype. In fact, by putting it on, you pass your penis and scrotum through a ring. The testicles then go up into the pubis and are kept at a temperature of 37 degrees. Which allows, by wearing it 15 hours a day, to reduce the rate of motile spermatozoa in the semen, and therefore to be considered sterile”testifies Boris, 27, in the RTBF.

Immobilize sperm

More radical, vasectomy, particularly popular with the British (16% of men under 70 have used it), consists of cutting the vas deferens of the testicles. At a more experimental stage, researchers have identified a new plant capable of immobilizing sperm.

According to a survey of 4,600 people, 69% of women use a method of contraception in Belgium, compared to 34% of men. Among these men, 60% cite the condom as the means used.