Natural male birth control ideas as backup to pill?

November 21, 2006 8:55 PM

How can I make myself temporarily impotent or at least lessen the odds of getting my wife pregnant?

My wife and I recently stopped using condoms, while she is on birth control I know too many people who have gotten pregnant while on the pill to feel comfortable. However we do not want to go back to condoms. It kills the moment for us. So what natural steps can I take to basically make myself less potent and thereby less likely to make her preggers? For example I know keeping a laptop on your lap can kill sperm...

Are there foods I should avoid that would make me more potent? Etc...

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (50 comments total)

Spermicide!
posted by Mach5 at 8:59 PM on November 21, 2006

What you are asking is not technically possible, sensible, or advisable, as far as making yourself less potent. As far as reducing the odds of impregnation, there's a raft of methods on the web, most of which end with a trip to the OB-Gyn. But yeah, spermicide seems sound.
posted by docpops at 9:03 PM on November 21, 2006

Why not have your wife see her ob-gyn about getting a diaphragm? Or a Leah's Shield.
posted by camworld at 9:03 PM on November 21, 2006

Really hot baths.
posted by pompomtom at 9:06 PM on November 21, 2006

In case you're asking elsewhere, to be clear on the concept: impotent == erectile dysfunction == flaccid == not hard == limp dick.

There's little you can do that's both safe and as or more effective than the pill. People who get pregnant on the pill are generally those who forget to take the pill. Perhaps you should consider contraception complementary top the pill, such as spermicide, the sponge, or an IUD, or less subject to human error, like Norplant.
posted by orthogonality at 9:07 PM on November 21, 2006

I do not think the word "impotent" means what you think it means. But I concur that doubling up on contraceptives is the best idea if it makes you feel more secure.
posted by RogerB at 9:08 PM on November 21, 2006

For one thing, you can find moments that don't involve the possibility of pregnancy. There are many :-).

And while your sense of responsibility is admirable, a male alternative to condoms isn't yet available. Maybe in a year or two?

On the female side, IUDs can be extremely effective. Like 99%. And very safe these days, probably safer than the pill or irradiating yourself. They've been unjustly ignored for many years since the Dalcon Shield.
posted by Araucaria at 9:10 PM on November 21, 2006

Perhaps consider the shot (Depo Provera), its a birth control method that's for some reason rarely mentioned (see orthogonality's otherwise helpful answer) but to my understanding is very effective and becomes more so the longer you're on it. I've been on it for about 3 years and it has the lovely side effect of no period! You get it once every 3 months and otherwise forget about it.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 9:11 PM on November 21, 2006

Come on now, outside of a vasectomy (an irreversible surgical procedure that severs the tubes that deliver motile sperm to the semen-mixin' joint) there's no method of sexin' with anywhere NEAR the success rate of condoms. When used effectively, the pill is like 92-95% effective, and condoms are like 96% effective.

I would guess your laptop-nut-cooker, or ginko balwhatever infusion $20 quack pill would be about 4% effective than nothing, and that's being quite generous.

I know that's not what you want to hear, but if the pill does not provide a comfortable level of safety, you're going to have to go with either some kind of chemical spermacide in a diaphragm or cervical cap which has its own drawbacks, or use the shrinkwrap.
posted by spatula at 9:11 PM on November 21, 2006

Abstain
posted by Pollomacho at 9:14 PM on November 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

You might consider a vasectomy. I realize you asked about "temporary" measures, and you should not consider a vasectomy to be temporary (even though they can sometimes be reversed). However, if you're serious about wanting to contribute to the effort, a vasectomy is your only real option as a man, other than condoms. This method looks promising, but it's only under development.
posted by digitalis at 9:14 PM on November 21, 2006

For crying out loud.

If you really want to avoid pregnancy, don't rely on old wives' tales about computers on your lap or hot baths. And while a vasectomy might be an option, I'm guessing it's not a great one for you.

Two things you should do: First, get spermicidal foam or spermicidal jelly. Your local drugstore should have one or both. Second, both of you should read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It's easy to read, and you'll be amazed at how ignorant you are (right now) about the basic functions of your wife's body. If she (and you) decide to chart her waking temperature, you'll both know exactly when she's fertile, and (therefore) when pregnancy is even a possibility.

Seriously, go get some spermicidal foam right now.
posted by Alt F4 at 9:18 PM on November 21, 2006

When used effectively, the pill is like 92-95% effective, and condoms are like 96% effective.

According to the FDA, when the Pill is used "effectively," it's 99.9% effective. Condoms, at their best, are 97% effective.

When in "general" use (forgetting to take the pill, I suppose), the Pill's effectiveness rate drops to 95%--while the condom's goes all the way down to 86%.

So: consider that the pill is probably safer than condoms; and that the people who know who've gotten pregnant while on it were probably not using it correctly.
posted by maxreax at 9:18 PM on November 21, 2006

Well, I guess its really not too "natural", but androgen use (ie steroids) will pretty much make you two little friends below go away. I don't have any personal experience, but its common knowledge amongst atheletes and bodybuilders that if you are in a heavy cycle you are probably firing blanks. Of course, its not anywhere near 100%.
posted by rsanheim at 9:26 PM on November 21, 2006

The withdrawal method, while not really sensible when used on its own, can be a good combo with the pill if you don't want to use condoms. (Come on her, not in her). Otherwise, if she takes her pill every day at the exact same time and doesn't skip any doses, it will be 99.9% effective. Pill mishaps occur when people skip doses, take two in one day, forget about it for a week, etc. I'd advocate for a combination between the rhythm method (Taking Charge of Your Fertility), withdrawal, and the pill. If she takes the pill reliably, and you pull out during her fertile week, chances of pregnancy are virtually nil.
posted by bonheur at 9:51 PM on November 21, 2006

1. Many women are allergic to certain spermicides. Do not get one that has Nonoxyl-9 in it.

2. Impotent is not infertile, which I think is what you're going for.

3. The pill is 99% effective when used correctly. That being said, it's a bit hard for some people to use them correctly. I got pregnant while taking the pill, and I took them every day. I took one a few hours later than I normally took them, and that was enough to mess it up.

If your wife is going to have any difficulty at all remembering to take them at the same time each day, I recommend she try the NuvaRing or the Patch. I used the patch for nine months before the pills, and I liked it except I have sensitive skin. Also if your wife is overweight (like me) the patch is likely to cause heart problems. I have been using the ring just a few months but the abilty to only have to do something twice a month rather than every day is much easier.

Basically, as of now, the birth control options for men are condoms, spermicides (which it seems would kill the moment more than a condom, yes?) and vasectomy. If you both decide you don't want kids at all, the vasectomy is less painful, less dangerous, and less expensive than a tubal ligation, so that is a good option for men.
posted by jesirose at 10:00 PM on November 21, 2006

You should do some reading in male conterception.

http://www.newmalecontraception.org

http://www.malecontraceptives.org/

Look at the wet heat method.
posted by bigmusic at 10:01 PM on November 21, 2006

Place an icepack on your lap.
posted by JujuB at 10:08 PM on November 21, 2006

Perhaps consider the shot (Depo Provera), its a birth control method that's for some reason rarely mentioned (see orthogonality's otherwise helpful answer) but to my understanding is very effective and becomes more so the longer you're on it. I've been on it for about 3 years and it has the lovely side effect of no period! You get it once every 3 months and otherwise forget about it.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 9:11 PM PST on November 21 [+] [!]

It's rarely mentioned because it was created by Satan himself, wuzandfuzz. Avoid it like the plague, ladies.
posted by nonmerci at 10:10 PM on November 21, 2006

Laptop on the groin? Foods to avoid? Are you serious? What are you, 12? Go read wikipedia for a few minutes and stop listening to whatever hokum you heard in a locker room.

Condom
Diaphragm
Shield
Cap
Sponge
Spermicide

Coitus interruptus
Rhythm Method
Natural family planning
BBT
Billings
Creighton
Lactational

IUD
IUS
COCP pill
Patch
Nuvaring
POP mini-pill
Depo Provera
Norplant
Implanon
Centchroman

Tubal ligation
Vasectomy
posted by Rhomboid at 10:18 PM on November 21, 2006

JujuB writes "Place an icepack on your lap."

Whoa, man. A lowered temperature will increase sperm count. Elevate testicular temperature if you want to decrease your sperm count.


rsanheim is right. Androgenic hormones will lower your sperm count. Testosterone patches would do the job nicely. They might be tough to get ahold of without a prescription, though. Do you know any professional cyclists?
posted by mr_roboto at 10:22 PM on November 21, 2006

I'm going to chime in with a vote against spermicide. It can be very irritating to your wife.
posted by harrumph at 10:25 PM on November 21, 2006

Wear briefs. It's a body temperature thing.
posted by textilephile at 10:45 PM on November 21, 2006

If you really want to avoid pregnancy, don't rely on old wives' tales about computers on your lap or hot baths.

See, the funny thing about that is, high temperatures really do decrease sperm count.

They're already using birth control, which puts them in the second best position to avoid unwanted pregnancies (first being abstention). He's just looking to improve their odds, and I think the occasional hot bath is actually a reasonable addition to an intelligent contraceptive plan.
posted by knave at 10:45 PM on November 21, 2006

The other thing to watch out for is when your wife is on antibiotics, which pretty much wipe out the effect of the birth control pill. You should be certain to use an alternative form of contraception while she is taking antibiotics.
posted by knave at 10:48 PM on November 21, 2006

Though no studies have been done on it in the US, apparently the Indian army is successful in using neem oil as a male contraceptive.

The Male Contraceptive Project has information on newer &/or experimental birth control methods for men that you might want to learn about.
posted by soviet sleepover at 10:51 PM on November 21, 2006

Whoa, man. A lowered temperature will increase sperm count. Elevate testicular temperature if you want to decrease your sperm count.

For what it's worth, either extreme of temperature will lower your sperm count. The ideal temperature for spermatogenesis is slightly less than body temperature, but intense cold will slow it down just like as intense heat. (Why do you think your body is so eager to protect your testicles in cold weather?)

But nitpicks aside, dude, this is a really dumb idea. Look, the alternate birth-control methods Rhomboid linked to have all been tested, both for their effectiveness and for possible side effects. When someone does a long-term study of the effectiveness and possible side effects of a hot pad in your shorts, you'll be able to make a well-informed decision about whether the hot-pad-in-the-shorts method of birth control is right for you. But until then, why would you risk your long-term sexual health in unknown ways to get an uncertain benefit?
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:02 PM on November 21, 2006

(er, just like intense heat.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:05 PM on November 21, 2006

How many people are the "too many" who've gotten pregnant on the pill? If used correctly, the pill (in all its various forms) is somewhere around 98% effective, give or take, right up there with everything other than abstinence. And reducing your sperm count does nothing to lessen the odds -- that's faulty math.

Follow the directions on the Rx insert, and have fun.
posted by turducken at 11:20 PM on November 21, 2006

How can I ... lessen the odds of getting my wife pregnant?

Have sex with other women instead.

Or use spermicide in addition to birth control pills (BCPs). A little dab'll do ya.

If a couple uses spermicides alone (not using condoms or another method) correctly every time they have intercourse, about 6% of them will become pregnant. However, not all couples use spermicides every time and they don't always use the spermicide correctly, so the average pregnancy rate is about 21%.

and BCPs are very reliable when used as directed:

BCPs are 98% to 99% effective for women who take the pills every day as directed. Pill-taking mistakes decrease effectiveness.

Pill + spermicide = very reliable, especially because you can agree that you'll both take responsibility for remembering the spermicide and using it correctly, and even for jointly keep tracking of whether she has taken her pill. (You can quietly keep an eye on the box if she doesn't feel like that's intrusive.) The biggest pregnancy risk with spermicide and BCPs is getting drunk or just being too busy and rushed to remember things.

And when a reliable male BCP becomes available, take it.

About the actual odds and how to lessen them (someone check my math here): with the above numbers, she would have a 2 percent chance of becoming pregnant with BCPs alone (worst case), 21 percent chance of becoming pregnant with spermicide alone (worst case), and... a 0.21 * 0.02 = 0.0042 = 0.42 percent (less than half a percent) chance of becoming pregnant. If you do everything perfectly and have good luck, the odds are still not zero, but they're getting close: 0.06 * 0.01 = 0.0006 = 0.06 percent chance of becoming pregnant.

Other methods have other odds you can use in your calculations. For example, condoms alone (wurst case) = 3 percent (best case) or 12 percent (worst case). Condoms(worstcase) * BCP(worstcase) = 0.12 * 0.02 = 0.0024 = 0.24 = about a quarter of a percent chance of becoming pregnant. Condoms(bestcase) * BCP(bestcase) = 0.03 * 0.01 = 0.0003 = 0.03 percent chance of becoming pregnant.

Condoms(bestcase) * BCP(bestcase) * spermicide(bestcase) = 0.03 * 0.01 * 0.06 = not bloody likely. Use this method if you think you might breed apocalyptic demon spawn or something.
posted by pracowity at 2:32 AM on November 22, 2006

I second (third?) the recommendation of the NuvaRing. It leaves a lot less room for error, and the side effects for me are minimal.

Purely anecodotaly, I know of only one person who has ever become pregnant while on hormonal birth control, and that was because of the aforementioned conflict with antibiotics. Even if the birth control "fails" (i.e., she ovulates), it still doesn't mean you're necessarily going to get her pregnant; it depends on where she is in her cycle. Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a terrific book - even my scientist, medical-trivia-loving boyfriend learned new things from it.
posted by sutel at 4:18 AM on November 22, 2006

well, it is whip it out wednesday.
posted by battlecj at 5:47 AM on November 22, 2006

There are a few issues here. I think one of the main issues is that you feel helpless because your wife is completely controlling contraception in the relationship and you have to rely on her to do it correctly. This will cause more unease for you if you don't trust her to use the pill as directed (intentionally or unintentionally). The pill, if used AS DIRECTED, is quite effective, as many other users have posted.

I think you are looking for both a sense of control and, perhaps, a method you can "see" working, like a condom, but without the downside of "killing the moment." I am not sure what you mean by killing the moment - problems with pleasure? interruption of intimacy? - but spermicides can contribute to that as well by causing interruption to insert the spermicide and possible discomfort and increased UTIs for your wife. Spermicides, according to Contraceptive Technology, are actually less effective in both perfect and typical users than pulling out. So, while they are an option and may provide additional protection, you might want to think about their disadvantages.

I haven't read Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but I think it is important to note two things - first, if your wife is using pills correctly, she won't ovulate, and therefore won't have the physiological changes associated with ovulation. Secondly, that natural family planning has varying failure rates (all of them higher than the failure rate of the pill) and requires both knowledge and self-control on the part of both partners.

Is your wife as concerned as you are? Does she have problems remembering the pill? Does she want to consider another method like those other posters have suggested? Also, what is the worst case scenario here - you have to remember that no method will guarantee you 100% effectiveness and you should discuss what you will do if there is an unplanned pregnancy. Good luck to you.
posted by tuff at 6:35 AM on November 22, 2006

If she takes the pill reliably, and you pull out during her fertile week, chances of pregnancy are virtually nil.

Um...I don't know as much as I should about the pill, but there's a fertile week? Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose?
posted by someone else at 7:01 AM on November 22, 2006

69.
posted by Scoo at 7:49 AM on November 22, 2006

Wear tight underwear (i.e. not boxers). Keeping the testicles close to the body increases their temperature, which is less suitable to sperm production.
posted by allelopath at 7:51 AM on November 22, 2006

Remember, for the Pill, using it effectively means not only taking it every day, but taking it at the same time every day. I would imagine that the people who get pregnant while on the pill are not only forgetting once in a while, but taking it erratically so that the proper hormone levels are not maintained.

I, personally, was on the pill for over 15 years, taking it religiously at the same time every day, and never got pregnant. And that 15-year period encompassed high school and college, so the effectiveness was definitely tested.

In other words, I think the Pill alone should be sufficient and you do not need to worry about a second method.
posted by timepiece at 8:27 AM on November 22, 2006

If you're going the spermicide route, you might want to consider using VCF, it's tidier than the foams or jellies. Of course, if either of you are allergic/sensitive to nonoxyl-9, that'll be a no-go. The films are nice 'cos they have be inserted before you get started, so they don't have to "kill the moment".

(The VCF literature in the package claims they are 94% effective when used properly)
posted by glip at 8:33 AM on November 22, 2006

Um...I don't know as much as I should about the pill, but there's a fertile week? Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose?

I don't think that was intended the way you're reading it. It's not that the pill only works three weeks out of four.

Even off the pill, you're only fertile (about) one week out of four. During that week, there's a fully-developed egg present and ready to be fertilized; the rest of the time, there isn't. If you're taking the pill and it fails, but you didn't have sex while you were fertile, you're still very unlikely to get pregnant.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:41 AM on November 22, 2006

Even off the pill, you're only fertile (about) one week out of four. During that week, there's a fully-developed egg present and ready to be fertilized; the rest of the time, there isn't. If you're taking the pill and it fails, but you didn't have sex while you were fertile, you're still very unlikely to get pregnant.

I certainly hope I was reading it wrong. :) But bonheur suggested using a combination of the rhythm method and the pill, even with reliable use of the pill. So is the pill more likely to fail at some times than others (when you might have been fertile off the pill?) Would you be able to tell (with the taking charge of your fertility method) that it had failed? Otherwise, what purpose would there be to use the rhythm method while "reliably" using the pill?
posted by someone else at 8:55 AM on November 22, 2006

someone else has it right. People who use the pill perfectly don't ovulate. Ever. (unless they are in the tiny minority who will ovulate despite perfect pill use). Those who do ovulate while on the pill, due to missing pills, for example, will not do so in a reliable way that could be anticipated by using natural family planning/rhythm method. These two methods cannot be used together.
posted by tuff at 9:17 AM on November 22, 2006

Seconding the caution of antibiotics and the Pill. Also be wary of certain herbal supplements. I've read that St. Johns Wort can affect Pill effectiveness as well.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 9:42 AM on November 22, 2006

I have to agree with nonmerci on the Depo-Provera. I basically went crazy for three months on it, and is probably the reason I got fired. Some people seem to be able to take it with no problems, but lots and lots of people have terrible problems with it, and you won't know which one of these you are until you take it. It's a shot that lasts three months, so you can't just stop taking it when you realize that it affects you badly. My doctor (the one I switched after I ditched the one that convinced me to try the Depo) told me he would see the same thing over and over-- a woman was doing fine, starts taking Depo, and her life would go to hell. Especially avoid it if you have any existing problems with depression, even if it's under control.

My suggestion to the poster would be to help your partner remember to take her BC pills consistently at the same time each day. This will make sure they are working at maximum efficency. I have a hard time remembering to take pills consistently, and I had a good experience with the BC patch. However, this was before all the warnings about the patch. Maybe use a diapraghm as well, to be extra sure.

The only way to do what you are asking is vasectomy, and that is not temporary. I think that you are wanting to make yourself infertile, not impotent. I think that research is being done in this area (male BC pills/shots/etc.) but nothing is currently available.
posted by Shoeburyness at 10:12 AM on November 22, 2006

She won't get pregnant if she takes the Pill at relatively the same time, every day, and makes sure to acknowledge and adjust for any other medications. Ninety percent of the people you know who have gotten pregnant on the Pill are feeding you a line because they won't take responsibility for screwing up correct use of the Pill. The other ten percent just didn't know about antibiotic use clashing with Pill effectiveness.

As for paranoia, withdrawal will make you feel better, even if it doesn't really work.
posted by sian at 10:55 AM on November 22, 2006

Up the butt. Or pull out. It won't be as effective as the pill, but used in concert, well, at least you're doing her up the butt and coming on her face.
posted by klangklangston at 12:39 PM on November 22, 2006

I'm just out of a ten-year relationship during most of which our only method of contraception was me being on the Pill. Nothing happened, pregnancy-wise.

I would say: let your wife know that it's very important that she communicates with you about those times when she forgets to take the Pill for a day (and thus you need to have non-vaginal sex for a week.) That will reassure you, I think.
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:23 PM on November 22, 2006

Huh, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones with the shot. I have to say that when it works its amazing though, I'd never go back.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 1:30 PM on November 22, 2006

Yeah, I'm a lucky one as well. No side effects for me. Thank gawd, because I can't take the Pill and lord knows no doctor will sterilize me at my age :P
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:51 PM on November 22, 2006

A few of you folks are confusing the Rhythm Method with The Fertility Awareness Method. These are not the same thing.... FAM is 99% effective when used right, Rhythm Method is not.
posted by RoseovSharon at 4:15 PM on November 22, 2006

Pull out.
posted by rxrfrx at 11:24 AM on November 26, 2006