Birth Control is a Man’s Issue Too

As we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, we’re given an opportunity to reflect on what it means to support families—not just after children are born, but in the thoughtful, intentional decisions that help build them. One of the most powerful tools we have to support healthy families is birth control. And while it’s too often framed as solely a women’s issue, the truth is simple: birth control is a man’s issue, too.

Family planning isn’t just about preventing pregnancy. It’s about making sure people can build the families they want, when they’re ready. That’s a shared responsibility, and one where men and fathers have an essential role. Whether it’s deciding together when to have a first child, how to space pregnancies for the health and well-being of the family, or choosing to prevent pregnancies, birth control provides couples with options—and men should be part of the conversation.

Moreover, contraception methods like condoms and vasectomies are male-controlled methods, but are often void of the conversation around birth control. Many men haven’t been invited into the conversation around contraceptives. This isn’t just a disservice to women—it’s a missed opportunity for men to take meaningful responsibility in their relationships and to be full partners in the journey of family life.

According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Men’s Role in Preventing Pregnancy, found that both men and women agree—women often feel more responsible for pregnancy prevention and pregnancy planning than men do. Interestingly, at least one-third of men—and 35% of women—said they think men today often feel left out of conversations around birth control. The survey also revealed a knowledge gap: more than half of the men said they don’t know much about contraceptive options, and about one in five admitted they know very little or nothing at all.

This Father’s Day, let’s expand the conversation. Let’s talk about birth control not just as a woman’s issue, but as a shared value. Let’s recognize the men who show up for their partners, who advocate for access to reproductive tools like birth control, and who understand that building a strong family starts with having the ability to plan one.

Because birth control isn’t about less fatherhood—it’s about better, healthier, more intentional fatherhood. And that’s something worth celebrating.

-              The Idaho Contraceptive Education Network Board of Directors