Who will take the "male pill"? Reflections on the construction of the contraceptive user for men

Authors

Keywords:

contraception, male contraceptive devices, gender, masculinity, technology

Abstract

This article analyzes how the American NGO Male Contraception Initiative – a relevant actor in the field – conceives the male contraceptive user. The ways this NGO is shaping both acceptance and consumers of that technology are examined from a social anthropological perspective and through document analysis. We observe that the construction of the male user is based on a concept of equality of reproductive rights, emphasizing the right of men as well as women to have autonomy and control over their own fertility. While there is an expansion of the user's profile compared to previous attempts to make a "male pill" available, a closer look on the notion of men as subject of reproductive rights reveals that such a construction may cause conflicts with central issues of feminist movements.

Author Biographies

Georgia Martins Carvalho Pereira, Instituto de Medicina Social- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Doutoranda em Saúde Coletiva no Instituto de Medicina Social - UERJ

Rogerio Lopes Azize, Instituto de Medicina Social- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Professor Adjunto no Instituto de Medicina Social - UERJ

Published

2019-08-31

Issue

Section

Articles