How can men benefit from use of birth control?

Birth control is not just a woman's issue. Men benefit from the use of birth control in many ways, including being able to decide when and if they will father a child, and being able to protect themselves and their partners from sexually transmitted infections. By leaving the decision about contraception up to the woman, the man not only creates an unfair burden for her, he also forfeits his ability to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. By failing to take responsibility for contraception, too many men become fathers before they are able or willing. By sharing decisions about birth control, a man increases the likelihood that his partner will be protected; he also shows that he cares about her and about her future. Our culture and media rarely address male responsibility in the prevention of STIs and unplanned pregnancies. The prevailing societal messages about contraception target women but sometimes neglect the impact that unprotected sex can have on men. Using condoms is the easiest way for men to get involved in the birth control process, but they must be willing to do so. Some men are not interested in using condoms because they have received messages that say it is unmasculine, or they have a preconceived notion that sex is not as good with condoms. These attitudes reveal both a lack of education and a lack of respect for women; they also free men from taking responsibility for their actions.