Contraception: not just a matter of gender or bodies
In France, more than 7 in 10 women and their male partners are concerned by contraception. Yet 90% of the contraceptive burden falls on women*. A split that is far from neutral, with real consequences. On top of this, contraceptives fail: a third of pregnancies are unplanned, and two thirds of those occur despite the use of contraception. Inequality, did you say?
Contraception rarely starts with a question. It often imposes itself as an internalised given, even an injunction: take the pill. A pill that is sometimes hard to swallow; the side effects and impacts on the body are many and widely documented: every year, 2,500 cardiovascular events are caused by the contraceptive pill (ANSM, March 2013).
Indeed, before being a method, contraception is an experience lived in the body. A deeply intimate and personal decision first, then discussed with one’s partner. And why not from the very start of the relationship?
A method of contraception is chosen, tried and adjusted.
Overview of contraceptive methods
Contraception is too often seen as a simple prescription. Yet every method involves the body, with possible side effects on wellbeing and mood, and sometimes requires rigorous organisation (regularity, planning, discipline). It also rests on a personal relationship with comfort, control and trust. Finally, it has a relational dimension involving one’s partner(s), requiring open communication, a shared mental load and each person’s responsibility.
Thinking of contraception as a shared choice also means designing concrete, desirable and lasting solutions, an ambition that guides the development of the 37.1 boxer by 37 DEGRÉS. The goal? To make male contraception more accessible, comfortable and compatible with everyday life. Find out more about thermal contraception. And for any questions, the answer is in our FAQ.
More than a simple tool, contraception is a system unique to each relationship, made of trade-offs, choices and adjustments over time, and it deserves to be thought about as a whole.
The different methods of contraception
| With or without hormones | Effectiveness in practice | Reversibility | Comfort of use | |
| Hormonal IUD | With | 99.8%¹ | Yes | Side effects |
| Copper IUD | Without | 99.4%¹ | Yes | Periods may be painful and heavy, depending on the body |
| Contraceptive pill | With | 92%¹ | Yes | Daily constraint, side effects |
| Implant | With | 99.9%¹ | Yes | Side effects |
| Patch | With | 92%¹ | Yes | Side effects |
| Vaginal ring | With | 92%¹ | Yes | Must be renewed every month, not very practical |
| Female (internal) condom³ | Without | 79%¹ | Yes | Not very spontaneous, takes practice |
| Male (external) condom³ | Without | 85%¹ | Yes | Not very spontaneous |
| Diaphragm | Without | 84%¹ | Not very spontaneous | |
| Cervical cap | Without | 84%¹ for women who have never given birth / 68% for women who have given birth | Yes | Not very spontaneous |
| Vasectomy | Without | 99.8%¹ | Sometimes possible but not guaranteed | Surgical procedure, permanent solution |
| Female sterilisation | Without | 99.5%¹ | No | Surgical procedure, rare but serious side effects, permanent solution |
| Injectable contraceptive | With | 97%¹ | Yes | Side effects |
| Periodic abstinence | Without | Up to 75% | Yes | Mental load and rigour required |
| Withdrawal | Without | 73%¹ | Yes | Constant attention |
| Spermicides | Without | 71%¹ | Yes | Mental load |
| Thermal male contraception | Without | 99.5% to 97.5%² | Yes | Daily wear is restrictive |
¹Source: WHO
²The effectiveness of thermal male contraception depends on the device used, strict adherence to the protocol and medical follow-up. As these devices are mostly handmade devices, little large-scale clinical data is available to date.
(i) La contraception, Collège de Médecine Générale, 2024 (in French) (ii) Enquête transversale sur les dispositifs de contraception par remontée testiculaire : sécurité, acceptabilité, efficacité, Manon Guidarelli, 2023 (cross-sectional survey of testicular lifting contraceptive devices, in French)
³Only these two methods of contraception protect against STIs.
Key criteria for choosing
Choosing contraception means opting for the one that works for you and your partner(s). Several criteria help refine this choice:
- male contraception, female contraception, or both
- the level of effectiveness
- everyday comfort of use
- the impact on libido
- pleasure and your relationship with your body
- whether or not it is reversible
Then there is timing: a one-off or long-term solution? There is no universal answer, only a balance to find and, if need be, to reassess over time. The right contraception is the one that best fits your choices, your body and your lifestyle.
Making a choice, alone and together
If contraception were thought of as a shared matter, it would not always rest on the same bodies. Being responsible means being in control of your fertility, whether you are a woman or a man. Fair contraception requires opening a space for honest discussion: about constraints, fears, expectations, and trust too. It also means accepting that this choice is personal and that no option is better than another. These questions are at the heart of the 37 DEGRÉS project, born of personal journeys and awakenings that we describe in more detail in this article.
Rethinking contraception is not about multiplying options; it is about shifting perspective. It means stepping away from the obvious, questioning norms, redistributing the burden and recognising everyone’s responsibility. It means making contraception an informed choice.
Because what touches intimacy deserves to be looked at with care, equity and trust.
