The first time I wanted to use a male contraceptive, I was 19 years old and in my first year at university, in Brittany. To find out, I visited a urologist, who was quite young. When I told him about my idea, he responded violently that it was not up to me to do so, that it was a woman’s thing. That stopped my thinking there. It is difficult to question the authority of the medical profession.
Until I was 23, the project remained on hold. Among my colleagues and those around me, the pill was omnipresent. Then, little by little, male contraception came into the discussion. I talked about it more and more, until my partner at the time encouraged me to take the step. In 2022, I went for a spermogram, to monitor my sperm production and check that there were no contraindications, then I started to wear the contraceptive ring. The principle is simple: fifteen hours a day, the ring moves the testicles towards the lower abdomen and the natural temperature of the body calms sperm production. After several months and regular checks, I became sterile.
The idea of “contraception” came to me very gradually. In high school, my first girlfriend had to have an abortion. I didn’t immediately realize all the psychological violence that this entailed. I understood it later, through encounters and conversations with those around me, at university. I think that was the first trigger.
“Spermograms every three months”
More generally, the many conversations with my friends made me understand how unfair it is that all the mental burden and risks related to contraception fall on women. Many of them have experienced difficulties. Some had to abort very young, others had infections in their implants or went to a psychologist because of the side effects of the pill. This pushed me to find out.
There is a real lack of knowledge about male contraception. When I wanted to get a prescription for a spermogram for the second time, I made an appointment with my family doctor, in a small town near Montpellier. This time I really wanted to be confident. When I mentioned the idea of using male contraception, my doctor had no idea what it was. We both ended up behind our computer, discovering information together. He didn’t judge me and was quite open. He asked lots of questions. I even think it made him laugh.
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