According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of single men using any form of contraception decreased between 2011 and 2015.
According to the numbers released by CDC, single men between the ages of 15 and 44 are more likely to use contraception compared to married men or those in a relationship. However, the number of single men on contraception is decreasing.
The most common form of contraception used by men is the condom. Men are increasingly not using condoms which not only prevents pregnancies but is also the most efficient form of protection against sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs). Only 45.2% of single men used condoms during this period.
STDs Go Up as Contraception Use Goes Down
Experts have said that the drop in use of contraception among men is only 2%, the drop is significant because it corresponds with an increase in new STD infection rates.
The study conducted by CDC analysed data from 3,707 single unmarried men in the US from 2011 to 2015. There was a two percent decrease observed in the number of single men using any form of contraception during sex.
Only 45.2 percent of the participants reported to have used a condom during the last three months of having sex. This low number meant that more men and their sexual partners are at risk of contracting bacteria or viruses that cause STDs.
An earlier CDC study, revealed that there was an increased number of people with STDs since 2013. Chlamydia, the most popular STD in the US had increased to about 1.4 million cases 2015, up 2.8 percent from 2013. Syphilis and gonorrhea cases had also gone up during the same period.
Men Relying on Withdrawal Method
The CDC study found that more men were preferring to use the withdrawal or ‘pull out’ method instead of using contraceptives. This method is only effective for preventing pregnancies and not STDs.
Most men are not using contraceptives and those who do, they only use it 81.7 percent of the time. Experts believe that the cause of low use of contraceptives among men is because of the existing social construct that it is a woman’s responsibility to provide protection because unplanned pregnancies will affect them more than it does men.
Because of this, most men won’t even think about it or feel responsible to make sure that they are protected during sex.
There are also less contraceptive methods for men, making the condom the most popular and easy to access method. Unlike men, women have many options to pick from when it comes to contraception.
Many men are also more concerned about protecting themselves from unwanted pregnancies than they are about protecting themselves from STDs. hence, the preference of withdrawal method over the condom.
There is need to educate men about contraception and the importance of protecting themselves and their partners against STDs. The condom is the most effective form of protection against both pregnancies and STDs.
Other recommended methods is to stick to one sexual partner and to make sure that both partners go for STD testing before engaging in sex.