The male birth control shot is cheap, effective, and administered in a relatively painless 15 minute outpatient procedure and has been in existence for 25 years… 25 years?? 25 years of testing and we have not heard about it until now…

I think that the reason it has taken so long for this shot to make real progress in the Western world is the patriarchy and, surprise!, the special interests of the drug companies.

Drug companies want something they can sell repeatedly. This shot is a one stop shop — once the patient gets it they never have to get it again. In theory, if one age group of men all got it, there would be years before there would be another large group of men in need of it. So they continue to push Viagra and focus on women’s birth control, of which there are a dozen varieties all in need of multiple doses. Also, the drug would not make them much money if it costs less than the syringe it’s delivered in. Many experts say that this drug would make a huge difference for young families living in poverty — if they can limit the size of their family, they have a better chance of getting ahead. Drug companies are not interested in selling one-time use drugs for the sake of charity and The Greater Good. Drug companies want to make money.