When asked about birth control, a greater percentage of people think, the pill for women, while a majority don\u2019t realize that men have options in terms of birth control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the World Health organization, the proportion of the need for family planning satisfied by modern methods, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator 3.7.1, has stagnated globally at around 77% from 2015 to 2022 but increased from 52% to 58% in sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the 1.9 billion women of reproductive age group (15\u201349 years) worldwide in 2021, 1.1 billion have a need for family planning; of these, 874 million are using modern contraceptive methods, and 164 million have an unmet need for contraception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Male reproductive health is overlooked, but it is a crucial subject when it comes to gender equality and family planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the landscape is slowly changing as men are becoming involved in family planning, and science is stepping up to provide men with new and effective methods of contraception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the conversation on male contraceptives continues to evolve worldwide, in Kenya, some men show fear for male birth control, having little to no knowledge of the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vincent a photographer residing in Nairobi states his fear of having his entire lineage wiped off if he chooses to get on male birth control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a man if you control your fertility you are cut out of the system completely that you cannot reproduce anymore, what if in future you want to sire kids?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For women it might favor them because they have eggs and after ovulation they can still have a child but as a man you only have one shot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vincent also adds on the risk of using medicine as a family planning method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you start using foreign drugs and implants that are controlling how your body works you\u2019re interfering with your reproductive system and once it fails there\u2019s no way you can redeem it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Philip Achola a boda boda operator in Homabay town, his concern lies in the effects of contraceptives on male libido, which he says can cause a lot of problems in a marital set up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can see how women \u2018hawaivi\u2019<\/em> (don\u2019t get turned on even when you touch them) and that\u2019s very challenging and for me I can\u2019t imagine experiencing that as a man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steven Owiti a middle aged man brings a critical perspective to the conversation, stating that having seen the impact birth control has on women around him, he cannot get on any form of male contraceptives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe aspect of birth control for men shouldn\u2019t even exist because all the complications it has on women is too much and such complications can\u2019t be brought upon men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ratio of men to women is so low that birth control would even make the ratio go down further.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elizabeth backs up Stephen firmly, saying no to the use of contraceptives for men as she says for women, it has affected their health, and posing the question, what can it do to men?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven for us women we get on birth control but end up getting off it because of complications ,sometimes you could end up having your periods 3 times in a month and that\u2019s not good, so I don\u2019t know how that could turn out for our men.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nicholas Onyango, a 39-year-old, states his fear of the impact of contraceptives, stating that contraceptives can prevent one from having healthy babies and bring health complications to both men and women choosing to use contraceptives of any kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a man I can\u2019t even think of getting on any birth control, because for women it can cause weight fluctuations and as I am someone using my muscles for work, male contraceptives can be terrible for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also some women taking birth control end up with physically and mentally challenged babies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the flip side some men and women are pro male birth control, as Macrine Awuor says, men need to look at the bigger picture and make the choice to use male birth control for their own benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMen should actually take contraception seriously because they are the ones getting affected economically if they end up having baby mamas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s health insurance, school fees and food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve actually seen men go into depression because they can\u2019t even provide for themselves and now they have more than 4 baby mamas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s just not look at it from a cultural perspective but also a financial perspective and we will all be safe as men and women in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To debunk the myths, we spoke to a specialist in male reproductive health, Dr. Charles Odondi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have two widely used methods, which have been approved worldwide, and these are vasectomy and use of condoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hormonal methods that can be injected or implanted are yet to be distributed into the market, they\u2019re still on trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some are taken through the mouth and the main reason they\u2019re being tested is to check whether they can stop or slow down sperm production and see whether these changes can be reversed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, currently there is no hormonal record which is being used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our main contraceptives are actually very effective, for example, if you look at Vasectomy, it is about 99% effective. We can\u2019t say it is 100%, but it\u2019s almost 100% because you actually interfere with the sperm so there\u2019s no sperm which shall be ejaculated by a man to cause fertilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then condom use, when used effectively, is also about 98%. Vasectomy currently is not reversible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The current methods, that is vasectomy and condoms, actually have no side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The side effects have manifested in hormonal contraceptives according to current research that\u2019s why they have not been distributed in the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For men, we have one thing which is very important to men and this is called libido, there are a lot of myths talking about a reduction of libido or these methods resulting into erectile dysfunction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is actually the main reason why most people don\u2019t take it up because they believe once you start using these methods your libido Will come down especially after vasectomy , some people believe that after vasectomy you can have erectile dysfunction and this is not true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes it does, because initially it was believed that only women should go to for family planning and some people think that when you are married and you go for family planning, your wife might go away due to those reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then you cannot have children with the other wife, for example, if you remarry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These cultural beliefs make it difficult for men to use birth control and if they choose to use them, they might feel inferior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is very important for a couple to sit down and make an informed decision because being that vasectomy is permanent , you must understand how many children you want in future so that when you do it, you don\u2019t end up regretting later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You must understand the spacing you need in your family, for example if you want to have a child this year you and you want to take four years before you have another one, you must understand that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that you can decide whether to use a condom or vasectomy because if you have enough children, vasectomy won\u2019t affect you, but if you still need more, you really have to consider and maybe use condoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You must also understand why it has to be a man and not a woman using contraceptives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some women have got side effects in using family planning methods. Some are very serious that you really can\u2019t advise them to use contraceptives but being that they have to plan their families in such cases you must advise the man to use family planning and discourage the wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it must be a mutual agreement and a deep understanding of these procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we speak today, male contraceptives are actually well embraced across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of sensitization have been done and currently men are doing it and going by the new innovations and solutions, we believe that it will be accepted by men, especially when new research is implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A time will come when there are so many varieties to choose from definitely and involving men, will definitely make family planning more effective globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While research continues on male contraceptives, their potential side effects, and how impactful they can be in planning one\u2019s family, there remains a significant barrier to their acceptance and use in Kenya, Showcasing a need for comprehensive education and communication about the realities and myths surrounding male contraceptives which the reproductive healthcare bill of 2019 supports by stating that every person has the right to access information on reproductive health and education on family planning methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question is, as a man, would you consider using male birth control?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as a woman, would you let your partner take on birth control?<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Cheryl Omondi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cThe aspect of birth control for men shouldn\u2019t even exist because all the complications it has on women is too much and such complications can\u2019t be brought upon 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