Sex has the superpower of making you happy. This is not a perceived truth, but a scientific fact. Touch acts like fuel for the hypothalamus, ensuring that its activity is pushed until sexual energy is discharged and large amounts of the so-called cuddle hormone oxytocin are released. Afterwards, the activity of the hypothalamus drops rapidly. What remains: a state of pleasant satisfaction.
So it’s no wonder that for many, sex is considered the most beautiful thing in the world and for some it is even part of their daily ritual, like brushing their teeth. Although the frequency of sex decreases with age, while statistically speaking 18 to 29 year olds do it on average around twice a week (2.15 times), the age group up to 39 only has sex 1.65 times a week, According to the Kinsey Institute, people aged 40 and over still have around one time (1.33). Yet there are few activities that the people of the world can agree on as a “hobby” like sex. Aside from fun, sex, at least in heterosexual sex, can produce something else – children.
Contraception is even more a matter for women than for men
If you want to have control over your family planning and not risk an unwanted pregnancy, you must use contraception. The same applies to the defense against sexually transmitted diseases. A matter that should actually affect both parties equally. Nevertheless, the question of contraception still mostly affects one gender: women. One of the most common contraceptives, the condom, not only provides very reliable protection against unwanted conception, but also against sexually transmitted diseases and, in contrast to the contraceptive pill, has no side effects – excluding allergy sufferers.
Nevertheless, condoms are primarily used by singles; in relationships, at least in heterosexual couples, they are often not used. The main argument: sex with rubber feels less intense. 76 percent of couples surveyed in a sex study said they never used a condom. Instead, every second woman aged 50 or younger takes the pill. It should be undisputed how important the possibility of contraception through the birth control pill was and is for women’s sexual self-determination. But the list of side effects is also long. Nevertheless, according to a survey, other contraceptives such as the IUD only play a minor role.
Range of contraceptive methods manageable
Contraceptive methods for men in particular are few and far between: condoms, vasectomies – and, yes, abstinence. The contraceptive pill for men has been decades in coming and other alternatives are also not very developed. More and more activists are working to change this. It’s not just about expanding and improving the range of contraceptives and making men more responsible. But also about balancing the imbalance of control when it comes to contraception.
Although slogans such as “contraception is a man’s job” are often used to promote more balance in the issue of contraception, the aim is not to transfer responsibility from one gender to the other. Activist Franka Frei explained it in an interview with stern like this: “That doesn’t mean that they [die Verhütung] should only be a male affair. That would be a shot in the foot. I am also not in favor of taking the pill off the market, even if I am critical of it. It’s about shared responsibility. Every person should be able to decide whether to take the pill or not. Or in a relationship, I decide together that I want to trust the other person and that after years of using contraception, it’s now her turn.” But that only works when there are more contraceptive options for the man – and so does he is willing to apply them.
A collection of facts about the most common contraceptives for Women and the status of contraceptives for men in the photo series above.
Sources: Federal Center for Health Education, pill report, sexual health (RKI), sex study, pharmacies, health insurance technician, vasectomy health insurance technician, doctor’s thesis refertilization, tubal reconstruction study, thermal contraception study, contraception study, briefs study, guidelines for hormonal or thermal contraception for men, Ferility and Sterility, Study Thermo-Slip, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Zeit, Spiegel, Quarks, Quarks 2, Infomedicine, Technician Health Insurance Tubectomy, Missy Magazine, HR Info, Focus, Stiftung Warentest, Die Welt, book “Ejaculate responsibly “