Latino men are known for being great lovers, but when it comes to birth control, they’re not a big fan of it, which might explain why Latinos have the highest rate of pregnancy. In an age where most of the protection is geared towards women, now there’s a hormonal birth control shot for men, which is 96% effective, except men are not a fan of it due to its side effects.
According to a study co-sponsored by the United Nations and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers tested the safety and effectiveness of the shot in 320 healthy men in monogamous relationships with women.
The men ranged in age from 18-45 and were given the shot every 8 weeks, which consisted in 1,000 milligrams of a synthetic form of testosterone which included 200 milligrams of norethisteron enanthate. When a man is given a shot of testosterone the brain assumes that the body is getting enough, so it shuts down its own production of testosterone, specifically the testicle’s production of testosterone and the production of sperm.
Unfortunately the study had to be terminated early because 20 men dropped out due to the side effects. They complained of site pain, muscle pain, increased libido, depression, mood disorders, and acne. Researchers said that nearly 39% of these symptoms were unrelated to the shots. But, due to the side effects, the researchers decided to stop the study earlier than planned.
After 52 weeks of recovery, eight participants have not been successful in conceiving, which demonstrated the risk of infertility. Critics argue that female birth control has much worse side effects than this shot. Yet, despite the side effects of male birth control, more than 75% of participants reported that they would use this method of contraception in the future.
With the Latino birth rates so high, it would be extremely beneficial for more Latinos to take control of their fertility with this shot. Although there are still some aspects of the shot to work on, it’s a step in the right direction because it’s not just the woman’s job to use birth control.