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Soon, your wife might decide it’s your turn to be on the pill after giving birth to your first or second child.
The male birth control pill which was developed and recently tested in America will revolutionise family planning as the pill, Dimethandrolone Undecanoate (DMAU), was revealed to be safe. The pill which is swallowed once daily, also does not affect the sex drive, the fear of most men.
While ‘I am on the pill’ was for ages the preserve of women out to check the number of domestic brats, Kenyan men could also be swapping stories about how the pill is affect their hormonal balance while drinking with the boys when it comes on sale down these shores.
Scientists who developed DMAU explained that it targets brain receptors which trigger sperm production, hence lowering the count level and in the process preventing pregnancy. The pill was recently tested on 83 out of 100 men at the University of Washington Medical Centre, and results revealed that it is better than long-acting injections or topical gels applied by women.
But will Kenyan men warm up to the male birth control pill?
Dr Ofweneke, a comedian, swears he can never take the pill which “should be left for the mzungus and their robots” as it will make African men lazy since “if I don’t want to have kids or unprotected sex, I will use condoms or abstain.”
Dr Ofweneneke, host of Thursday Night Live on KTN Home, argues that while some medical advances are good, others are just absurd.
“The male pill is bad and I will not encourage any African man to take it. The pill is not for me. Those pills will also have side effects like the female pill. So I will gain or lose weight when I am on the pill? And then I have to deal with mood swings?”
Men, according to Dr Ofweneke, should not take the easy way out. “What if it fails because not everything is 100 per cent?” he poses.
Radio Maisha presenter Alex Mwakideu concurs with Dr Ofweneke and says, “Hata kwa dawa ya mganga hiyo dawa situmii! Condom is they only protection I will use. My wife and I already have a method we use for protection which has worked for us for years now, so why should we try the pill?” he wonders.
Mwakideu adds: “New inventions are always good when they are starting, but it will take a few years for people to know if the pill has any side effects. I don’t want to jump on board now and five to 10 years later I start seeing the long term side effects. I will not even encourage my close family members and friends to use it. The female pill works well and I think we should continue using that. I will not use any pill or injection.”
Gerald Langiri, an actor is, however, open to experimenting.
He does not mind the male birth control pill because “if you can wear a condom, you can take a pill. It is a much easier way for us married people. We have issues with condoms because of that extra layer that makes sex not feel the same. But the pill will allow us to have maximum pleasure as well as protect ourselves.”
Langiri’s only problem with the pill is forgetting it does not protect you against sexually transmitted infections and diseases. “I am also open to help my wife in alternating terms. She can take a pill for a few months then I can take on other months depending on our agreement.”
Lady Bee (Bernice Nduku), a gospel musician and preacher, thinks it’s against the Bible.
“In the Bible, God says that we shoul not conform to the patterns of this world, but instead we should be reformed by the renewal of our minds. God is a God of order and everything he created is in order, no one can stop the will of God. Marriage is a sacred thing and I don’t see why a married couple will need the pill,” she says, advising that it would be better to follow the natural birth control methods used by our parents.
“Years to come, these pills will have side effects. People in marriages want children, so why prevent God’s way. Most people who take the pill do so to prevent something they were not supposed to do in the first place, like when they are cheating,” she reasons.
Sabina Stadler, a former Big Brother Africa contestant would encourage men to take the pill as a third option.
Sabina, now a TV producer argues that, “If they cannot abstain or use protection, they can choose to use the pill. They have no excuse of saying, ‘I was trapped by a woman’ When they mess around this is the best option to use to prevent the whole affair, there is no excuse of having children they cannot bring up. The pill will also help with unnecessary distress.”
She adds: “Your seed is very precious; don’t plant them everywhere if you can’t tend to the harvest. I am in support of men power all the way.”
Marya (Mary Maina), a musician, differs as she “would not encourage my man to use the pill or the injection. I believe using the pill is a woman’s responsibility and it should remain that way. We have been managing for so long, so why change it now? Men should just stick with condoms. The pill and injections will just be a greenlight for Kenyan men and they will be reckless. We live in a generation where things are evolving and sometimes we cannot prevent them but just move with them.”
Would you take the male contraceptive pill?
