My turn: Brith control is not just for women to worry about

You know you're not as young as you used to be when friends congratulate you instead of saying, "I'm sorry; what happened?" when the pregnancy test shows positive.I'm not the average college student anymore.

Boozin', smokin' and indecisiveness used to rule my life. Now, it's God, my wife, classes and my jobs I concentrate on.

Things have changed.

I'm still young, but I feel more like a real man than I ever have in my life.

I'm actually taking care of my life. I almost feel grown-up.

I remember being 18 and being scared I may have just ruined, or at least slowed down, my life.

The condom broke.

It wasn't with my wife either.

I wasn't faithful to my wife before I met her. To some of you, that might not make sense, but I wasn't and that is the Truth.

I marvel at the dedication virgins have. Their reward will be had when they are married; if not for themselves, then for their marriage partner.

I truly wish I could have done that for the woman who is more beautiful than all others: my wife.

So, the condom broke five years ago and, today, I think, "Why isn't there such a thing as male birth control?"

Yes, there is such a thing as the condom. It's been around since Roman rule.

Why, oh why, haven't they come up with something better than a piece of plastic or sheepskin to prevent pregnancy. (Sheepskin doesn't stop the spread of diseases, by the way).

If there was such a thing as a shot that prevented my little soldiers from marching themselves into the fallopian tubes of my wife, then I would take it.

Q. Why would you do such a thing, Chad, when she could take the pill?

A. Because the pill sucks. I think women have had enough. Give them freedom, give them pleasure. Give it all to me, put the weight on my shoulders.

That way she wouldn't have to worry about hormones, crazy cycles, forgetting to take the pill and other weighty side effects.

And no way are we going all Catholic. Nothing against my Catholic brothers and sisters (I was born and raised such), but the pope isn't nor ever will be infallible.

He is human like the rest of us. (If he were having sex, then he would want birth control, too).

I'm not going to even touch abortion. Lets just say I don't agree with it unless in extreme cases and carelessness isn't an extreme case.

And in my case, a broken condom wouldn't have been an extreme circumstance.

That is why my life would have changed drastically at age 18. I would be caring for a child that would be five years old now.

I know I wouldn't be with the child's mother either, because I'm not with her today. It wasn't destiny.

I just wish the scientist out there would come up with some form of male birth control.

That way, I would know positively there is no chance of a baby until there needs to be one.

No worrying if she will get her period this week. No worrying about how much my wife is worrying. No worries, just happies.

Happy mornings, happy nights, happy days, happy lives.

I have a fear of what might happen if the scientist created such a thing.

Would men who hold high positions speak out against it like they did when the female pill was first created?

Would men create a stigma of sin around male birth control? Would they condemn people like my wife and me, who would be using it in our marriage, where sex is legal and glorifying to God, to wait until we are able to provide the needs a child has?

Would they declare it something the devil had a hand in creating?

I think a lot of men would. I think they would speak out against it, like they spoke out against Galileo, because of one simple fact: men are scared of anything that has to do with their testicles.

Why should a male scientist create something that might have an affect on his "manhood" when he could just as easily get a woman to take something that affects her instead of him?

Let's just say, in conclusion, if they created male birth control, then I would be one of the first in line at the clinics and offices offering the service.

And like Bob on the Enzyte commercials, I would have the biggest, goofiest smile on my face while waiting and not worrying.

Reach Chad at
chad_hutchison6@eku.edu