Reproductive health is an important component of overall health for everyone. Males, however, are often overlooked in discussions of sexual and reproductive health, especially discussions around contraception. This June, in honor of Men’s Health Month, we are highlighting resources that focus on birth control options for men.

Your Birth Control Choice Fact sheet highlights all available reversible birth control methods. Because many of the methods are used only by females, RHAP developed our Birth Control for Men fact sheet, which focuses on the male-only methods. 

One area we have worked hard to highlight as a great option for males is vasectomy. Our Permanent Birth Control fact sheet compares male and female sterilization options. Compared to female sterilization, vasectomy is simpler, less expensive, and less likely to cause complications. Vasectomy is over 99% effective. Yet, in the US, only 5% of men have a vasectomy, while 15% of women have some form of permanent sterilization. Given its many advantages, we need to ask ourselves – why is vasectomy so underused?

Many people fear that vasectomy will harm them, possibly causing cancer or impairing sexual function. However, studies have shown that some people actually experience an improvement in libido and sexual pleasure when they no longer need to worry about unintended pregnancy. The no-scalpel technique, which requires no cutting or suturing, leads to a quicker recovery and is easy to incorporate into primary care.

This June, think about how you can talk about contraceptive options with the males in your life.