Men giving birth?

Biology 103
2003 Second Paper
On Serendip

Men giving birth?

Vanessa Herrera

A leading British fertility expert, Lord Winston, says it should be possible for a man to carry a baby to term and then deliver it by a Caesarean section. In Winston's view, modern medical technology will soon allow homosexual male couples to bear children, or allow a heterosexual male to carry a child if his wife is unable to for medical reasons.

"Male pregnancy would certainly be possible and would be the same as when a woman has an ectopic pregnancy -- outside the uterus -- although to sustain it, you'd have to give the man lots of female hormones," Winston told the Times. He will outline the concept in his new book, The IVF Revolution. IVF stands for in vitro fertilization.

Winston acknowledges that there could be a few problems with the technique. Among other things, the man could experience internal bleeding -- and he might grow breasts. "I don't think there would be a rush of people wanting to implement this technology," he said. (1)

Presently, researchers are now busy perfecting a reliable birth-control drug for men. A five-year study, conducted by the ANZAC Research Institute in Sydney, involved 55 men using hormonal injections and implants as birth control. None of the men's partners conceived and there were no side effects compared to other trials, which have been terminated due to unforeseen problems. The contraceptive works by inhibiting sperm production through injections of progestin every three months. Since this hormone also reduces the sex drive, testosterone had to be implanted under the men's skin every four months to maintain their libido. After a 12-month period, participants would stop the treatment to recover their fertility.

"This is the first time a reversible male contraceptive that will suppress sperm production reliably and reversibly has been fully tested by couples," Professor David Handelsman, the study's director, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Melissa Dear, a spokesperson for the Family Planning Association, told CNN that she thought it was unlikely that the final product would be marketed in the form of an injection. "It's too awkward a method," she said. "This study has brought the reality of the male contraceptive pill one step closer, but we need to look at combining both hormones in a tablet form." She added that although the Family Planning Association welcomed the news, she anticipated that it would be five to 10 years before a male contraceptive was available commercially. (2)
Hormones would be administered to make the patient receptive to the pregnancy. In vitro fertilization techniques would induce an ectopic pregnancy by implanting an embryo and placenta into the abdominal cavity, just under the peritoneum (the surrounding lining). Once implantation is complete, the intake of hormones ceases, because the pregnancy itself, as expected, takes over. The embryo secretes sufficient hormones to maintain its own growth and development. The delivery will require open surgery to remove the baby and the placenta. Removal of the placenta is the real danger because it forms such intimate connections with surrounding vessels that massive hemorrhage is likely. Implantation may have also involved other structures in the abdomen, including the bowel and it is possible that parts of other organs may need to be removed. Several physicians who are well-accustomed to advanced and dangerous forms of ectopic pregnancies should be on-hand to handle any complications. (3)

The first time I heard of these reports I was just amazed by the concept of men giving birth. But, really thinking about it I realized how the idea could take away a women's identity. For so long, woman have struggled to display themselves as strong beings capable of anything and used the ability of giving birth as part of their argument. If men take that away from women, then women lose part of the argument; moreover, the battle.

The perception of males can also change as well. There could be men who would want to raise a child on their own, as mothers who undergo artificial insemination. This scientific revelation could possibly turn into the reevaluation of gender roles; if there should be any or if new criteria is needed.

Nowadays, it seems as if there has been a role reversal. Fathers have been seen taking the job of caring for the children, while the mothers go off into the work field. Some women will feel inclined to make the men sacrifice the carrying of the child. At the same time, a couple might want to share responsibilities if they wish to bear more than one child. This could drastically change our future demographics, since it has been calculated that by the year 2020 there will be a lesser population of children. This new light of male pregnancy could rise the sagging decline of young children in the near future.

The new found discovery that the population of children is diminishing in the near future could be contributed by the advancement of male contraceptives. It doubles the rate of preventive measures and chances of impregnating. The effectiveness of these products will then encourage the administering of these male contraceptives, allowing the nation at large to feel safe using said drugs.

With the introduction of male pregnancy, there will be an expected growth in the percentage of young children residing in the world. Infertile couples will be given the gift of conceiving, homosexual couples will no longer need surrogate mothers, and males without partners could have children of their own as well. Many things could change, until then one can only imagine how.

(1) http://wwww.gsreport.com/articles/art000085.html

(2) http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/10/06/male.pill/index.html