A recent study found that male birth control injections could be up to 96 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. If this research were to be successful in creating a viable new form of birth control, it could be potentially groundbreaking for women, who have largely held the burden of being responsible for contraception.

But don’t get too excited yet; the study was halted prematurely because too many men dropped out due to adverse effects such as “change in mood,” as well as “acne, pain or panic at first injection, palpitations, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction.”

News of this development drew a collective eye roll from women across the internet. Typical side effects of hormonal birth control for women vary greatly depending on individuals and method used, but for the pill, the most common form of contraception, they include headaches, weight gain, mood changes and nausea–just to name a few. Certain types of pills have also been known to increase a woman’s , a dangerous and potentially fatal possible side effect. Other common forms of contraception, including IUDs,  the vaginal ring, and injectable birth control, also carry serious risks.

As might be expected, the reaction online was not sympathetic:

Men will experience mood swings with male birth control shots ..

Women: pic.twitter.com/ofcGHCoHOn

— SUNNI (@SunniAndTheCity) October 31, 2016

Successful male birth control trials ending due to side effects like depression, mood swings, and acne is LITERALLY A JOKE

— jess white (@jesssswhiiite) November 1, 2016

Male birth control trial canceled after they learn it causes mood swings and depression.

Meanwhile. pic.twitter.com/gO7CLLdndh

— Carina MacKenzie (@cadlymack) November 1, 2016

when u hear male birth control was discontinued cause it was causing them weight gain, acne and mood swings. pic.twitter.com/n7Ih8DlF0v

— brenna (@brennaacasey) November 1, 2016

The Daily Show also delivered a harsh takedown of the men who dropped out. In response to the fact that the side effects of female birth control were potentially much more serious than those that the men suffered from, correspondent Michelle Wolf quipped, “side effects are the only area where women earn more than men.”

However, as Vox notes, the internet criticism toward the study’s participants may be misguided: the rate of side effects was high enough that the safety of the study was put into question. And while it may seem like mood swings and acne aren’t severe enough to end a study, the rate of side effects were allegedly higher than the rate of side effects in female hormonal birth control. In the rush to judgment, it seems that people overlooked the fact that the men who dropped out were not directly responsible for the research ending early.

The study still led to discoveries that could open the door for viable forms of male birth control in the future, by showing that an effective contraceptive for males is indeed possible. Also, “despite the adverse effects, more than 75 percent of participants reported being willing to use this method of contraception at the conclusion of the trial.” (So, not all men are weak).

The hope is still alive for finding some usable form of male birth control sooner rather than later.

Mariam Jaffery

Mariam was an Executive Assistant at Law Street Media and a native of Northern Virginia. She has a B.A. in International Affairs with a minor in Business Administration from George Washington University. Contact Mariam at mjaffery@lawstreetmedia.com.

The post A Study On Male Birth Control Ended Early Because There Were Too Many Side Effects appeared first on Law Street.

In a big win for advocates for more accessible contraceptives, certain hormonal birth controls are soon going to be available to women in California and Oregon directly from pharmacists. Instead of requiring prescriptions from doctors, the new laws would allow women to get the prescriptions from pharmacists instead, hopefully cutting down on costs and making contraceptives easier to obtain.

Both California and Oregon’s new laws will be enacted in the next few months, although it’s unclear exactly when. But when they are in place, women will be able to visit their local pharmacy and, after filling out a short questionnaire that discusses their medical histories and other pertinent questions, obtain birth control directly from the pharmacists. These will include a variety of different kinds of hormonal birth control, including pills, patches, and rings, and they will be subject to the same insurance coverage as when they were prescribed by doctors.

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no real need for contraceptives to be prescribed by a doctor. Dr. Daniel Grossman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco and the vice president for research at Ibis Reproductive Health explained why it’s acceptable for pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives:

There’s a growing body of evidence that there isn’t a safety concern. There are studies showing that women can really accurately identify the conditions that make it appropriate to use certain contraceptives, using a simple checklist.

Allowing pharmacists to dispense certain types of medications based on their own judgment isn’t a new concept–take for example, flu shots. Pharmacists can dispense flu shots after consulting with a patient, regardless of whether or not there’s a doctor there. However, exactly what pharmacists are allowed to do depends on the state–Oregon and California will be just be extending those privileges.

There are some concerns from advocates of more accessible birth control that this new step is counter-productive. Advocates, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, are pushing for birth control to be over the counter (OTC) as opposed to dispensable through a pharmacist. But, while that might be true, this is certainly a step in the right direction in allowing more women to have easy access to affordable birth control.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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