The McGill Tribune Vol. 22 Issue 8

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Protest over VP arrest N e w s

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Botox and tummy tucks

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H o u se o f Yes A & E

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M cG i l l Vol. 22 Issue 8

R IB U N E

Published by the Students' Society of McGill University since 1981

Tuesday, October 22, 2002

Male birth control: Behold the contraceptive revolution M irynne O'Connor

The invention of a female birth control pill strongly influ­ enced the societal trend towards female empowerment. With the ability to control their own fertility, women became free to pursue vir­ tually any path of life they chose. Now, presumably free from unplanned pregnancies, women are more self-sufficient and better able to plan their careers. But not all women can take the pill. Oral contraceptives for women produce many potentially serious side effects, namely blood clots and increased risk of stroke. Women who smoke heavily cannot use the pill either, as smoking increases the chances of heart attack or stroke. So sometimes the choice comes down to your nicotine or your birth control, which includes side effects of weight gain, mood swings and morning sickness. Yet male controlled contraceptive methods, such as a condom or withdrawal, are not as effective in preventing pregnancy as the female pill. For the female who no longer wants to, or cannot, take the pill,

MUHC su p erh o sp ital New s

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O ver your Sh o u ld er OPINION/EDITOR1AL

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E co to u rism ind ustry FEATURES

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H ockey home opener S po rts

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“T h ere is a lw a y s som e m adness in love. B u t th ere is alw ays som e reason in m a d ­ ness. ” — F r ie d r ic h N ietzsch e

what other options are available? A new form of birth control presently being researched is the male birth control pill. Although it is not yet available in pill form, it promises to be on the market in about five years. Right now, experi­ ments are being conducted involv­ ing weekly injections of testos­ terone enanthate (TE), a synthetic hormone. Scientists are also devel­ oping an injection that would only be needed once a month, which combines TE and depot-medrox­ yprogesterone acetate (DMPA), which is already being used in female hormone injections, namely Depo-Provera. The point of these synthetic hormones is to lower the male sperm count to a point where sperm production is at an insuffi­ cient level for pregnancy. Whereas the female pill had to find a way to stop one egg from being produced once a month, the male pill has to stop 1,000 sperm from being pro­ duced every minute. In addition, it is harder to find a reversible infertil­ ity method for males than it is for females. TE injections take up to three months to begin working and

semen analysis must occur on a reg­ ular basis as well. O f the 66 men who participated in a research proj­ ect conducted by Edinburgh University in Scotland and China, all returned to normal sperm levels 16 weeks after their last injection. As for side effects, there are surprisingly few, and they parallel those experienced by women on birth control. Mood swings, weight gain, increased appetite and acne were the most commonly reported side effects. Positive side effects include reduced risk of prostate and testicular cancer. It may also help with male pattern baldness. Research is now focusing on providing male birth control meth­ ods that are less time consuming for the patient. At present, one needs to undergo sperm analysis, receive weekly shots and wait three months for the medication to take effect— requirements which do not make such methods very appealing to the majority of the male population. Also at issue is how marketable male birth control methods will be. The Kaiser Family Foundation See CONTRACEPTIVE, page 11

Winning streak hits six for Redmen football “When Concordia beat Laval [October 12], I challenged the players: ‘You’re in first place, its yours to lose. You have to control the play and win the next two weeks. If you do that you’re in first place,’” said McGill head coach Chuck McMann after the game. The Redmen met one half of their coach’s challenge last weekend with a solid game on both sides of the ball. Slotback Steve Céolin led the way with six receptions for 128 yards and two touchdown catches. Wide receiver Pat Lanctôt, third in

M ark K err

The McGill Redmen football team continues to prove that it deserves its first place standing in the Quebec Intercollegiate Football Conference. The Red ’n’ White handedly defeated the visiting Mount Allison Mounties 39-2 Saturday at Percival Molson Stadium. The win main­ tains McGills two-point lead over the Laval Rouge-et-Or as they enter the final week of the regular season.

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JENNYGEORGE Second-year forward Alisen Salusbury skies over the competition in the past weekend’s McGill Invitational Tournament. Full story, page 23.

the league in receiving yardage entering Saturday’s game, made three catches for 71 yards with one touchdown. Despite playing in wet, cold conditions for much of the game, McGill’s offence was on, marking 568 total net yards to Mount Allison’s 99. “When we saw the tempera­

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tures this morning, we [the receivers] were a little bit con­ cerned about passing,” Céolin said. “But we did well and we were pret­ ty happy [with our play dispite the conditions] and I am sure the coaches are happy as well.” “I was a little surprised with

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See FOOTBALL, page 22


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