Proposal

When trying to prevent pregnancy in heterosexual relationships, how can men take action? This is an important question to explore because couples deserve to make informed decisions when choosing a birth control plan. Usually, women are expected to be responsible for protecting themselves because they would be carrying the child. Women have tons of options when it comes to birth control that many people are quite familiar with. Men have few. I believe that heterosexual men should be just as responsible for preventing pregnancy as their female partner. For this reason, I am choosing to focus specifically on the different birth control options for men.  

Most often, when people think of ways males can prevent pregnancy, only condoms come to mind. It is true that there are more contraceptives available for females than there are for males. Nevertheless, condoms are not the only option, and not all alternatives involve celibacy or a permanent procedure such as a vasectomy. I will be shedding some light on those alternatives because I believe they should be as just universally recognized and suggested as the most common female contraceptives. It is important to remember that advancements and new ideas are always being created, discussed, and tested. Through some preliminary research, I have found that some male contraceptives are still in the early stages of development, and some are still just ideas. I think it is important to expose these new ideas to the world even if they are not perfect yet. The more people hear about these ideas, the more comfortable they may become.

Birth control is often a taboo subject. This may be because of some religions, or the way that sexual education is taught in schools. Upon further research, I will learn how children are educated on the topic of contraceptives in schools in different places. I will also survey and interview young people and use that information to show just how much young people know about their options. Through these peer interactions, I hope to send the message that it is okay to openly discuss birth control; it should not be treated as a secret. Especially between couples. If couples are comfortable enough to have sex, they should be comfortable enough to discuss birth control and fully understand what is out there for them.

            My goal is to raise awareness for the up and coming forms of male birth control. Some are still in the experimental stage, but, upon exploration, they can become popular in the future. With the current feminism movement and the increasing push for equality of the sexes, I think this is a perfect time for male forms of birth control to really take off. However, that will never happen if no one talks about it. Males should be held just as accountable as women when preventing pregnancy. Upon further research, I will see if some men find it “feminine” or “emasculate” to be on birth control. Although, if these new male contraceptives are popularized, accessible, and discussed in a comfortable, positive way, the stigma may be erased. That would be ideal.

            I’m targeting young, heterosexual, sexually active people who wish to prevent pregnancy. Older people can definitely take action as well, but I am targeting young people because a few of the male options are still in their early stages of development. Personally, I hope to better educate myself, so I can better educate those around me. I hope to shed light on up and coming male contraceptives so that it may become a more popular and comfortable subject. This could eliminate the stereotype that unplanned pregnancy is the woman’s fault and bring us one step closer to absolute gender equality.

Works Cited

Planned Parenthood. “Birth Control for Men.” How Can Men Prevent Pregnancy? 28 Dec 2015. Web. 09 Mar 2017.

"Birth Control for Men? It's Coming!." Men's Fitness, Vol. 33, No. 1, Jan/Feb 2017, pp. 26. EBSCOhost. Web. 08 Mar 2017.

MacDonald, Fiona. “This Condom-Free Male Birth Control Just Passed Its Toughest Test Yet.” ScienceAlert. Web. 09 Mar 2017.

"A Guy Thing: Male Responsibility and Birth Control." Guy Thing: How to Be a Man without Becoming a Father, 01 Feb 2007, pp. 1-2. EBSCOhost. Web. 09 M