Episode 82: The Future of Birth Control

Human beings have been practicing birth control for thousands of years. Today, there are dozens of different contraceptives available, many of which are highly effective and increasingly convenient to access. However, there’s still room for improvement, and the future of birth control promises to be fascinating. It’s becoming increasingly high-tech, and an equivalent of the birth control pill for men appears to be on the horizon. So let’s talk about it! My guest today is Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, a board-certified OB-GYN and author of the book, Let’s Talk About Down There: An OBGYN Answers All Your Burning Questions Without Making You Feel Embarrassed for Asking. Jennifer also runs a popular sex ed channel on TikTok (@drjenniferlincoln) with more than two million followers. In this episode, we discuss the future of birth control, common contraception myths, and how to choose the method that’s right for you. Specifically, we explore: How are the birth control options available to women likely to change in the future, both in terms of methods and accessibility? Why hasn’t there been a lot of research to date in the area of male birth control? What does the future of birth control for men look like? What are the most promising methods in development? Will future birth control methods also offer protection against STIs? How reliable is the pull-out or withdrawal method in preventing pregnancy? Are condoms really 98% effective at pregnancy prevention? Do you have to take birth control pills at the same time every day in order for them to work? Do you need to take occasional breaks from hormonal birth control to let your body “reset?” With all of the options available, how do you choose the contraceptive that’s right for you? Check it out! And in case you missed the first part of my conversation with Jennifer, check out Episode 81, where we explore myths and facts about vaginal health. Get confidence where it counts with BlueChew! Their online service delivers the same active ingredients as Viagra and Cialis in chewable tablets at a fraction of the cost. Listeners can try BlueChew FREE by using promo code PSYCH at checkout; just pay $5 shipping. Visit https://bluechew.com to learn more. This podcast was made on Zencastr. Join Zencastr today and receive 40% off of their professional plan for 3 months with my exclusive discount code: sexandpsych Thanks to Promescent (promescent.com) and the Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (modernsextherapyinstitutes.com) for being sponsors of this episode! *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: Jonathan Raz (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest and Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition on Unsplash.