Contraception: Not Just About Gender or Body
In France, more than 7 out of 10 women and their male partners use contraception. Yet, 90% of the contraceptive burden falls on women*. This imbalance is far from neutral and has real consequences. Added to this is the ineffectiveness of contraceptives: one-third of pregnancies are unplanned, and two-thirds of these occur despite the use of contraception. Inequality, you say?
Contraception rarely begins with a question. It often imposes itself as an internalized obviousness, or even an injunction: take the pill. A pill that is sometimes hard to swallow; there are numerous side effects and impacts on the body, which are widely documented — each year, 2,500 cardiovascular events are caused by the contraceptive pill (ANSM - March 2013).
Indeed, before being a method, contraception is a lived experience in the body. A deeply intimate and personal decision first, which is then discussed with one's partner. And why not from the beginning of the relationship?
A contraceptive method is chosen, tested, and readjusted.
Overview of Contraceptive Methods
Contraception is too often considered a simple prescription. However, each method engages the body, with possible side effects on well-being and mood, and sometimes requires rigorous organization (regularity, anticipation, discipline). It also relies on a personal relationship with comfort, control, and trust. Finally, it integrates a relational dimension involving one's partner(s) and requiring transparent communication, sharing of mental load, and the responsibility of each individual.
Thinking of contraception as a shared choice also means designing concrete, desirable, and sustainable 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 daily life. Learn more about thermal contraception. And for any questions, the answer can be found in our FAQ.
More than just a tool, contraception is a unique system for each relationship, made up of compromises, choices, and adjustments over time, and it deserves to be considered in its entirety.
Different Contraception Methods
| 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 can be painful and heavy depending on the individual |
| Contraceptive pill | With | 92%¹ | Yes | Daily constraint, side effects |
| Implant | With | 99.9%¹ | Yes | Side effects |
| Patch | Without | 92%¹ | Yes | Side effects |
| Vaginal ring | Without | 92%¹ | Yes | To be renewed monthly, not very practical |
| Female condom (internal)³ | Without | 79%¹ | Yes | Less spontaneous and requires learning |
| Male condom (external)³ | Without | 85%¹ | Yes | Less spontaneous |
| Diaphragm | Without | 84%¹ | Less spontaneous | |
| Cervical cap | Without | 84%¹ for women who have never given birth / 68% for women who have given birth | Yes | Less spontaneous |
| Vasectomy | Without | 99.8%¹ | Sometimes possible but not guaranteed | Surgical intervention, definitive solution |
| Female sterilization | Without | 99.5%¹ | No | Surgical intervention, rare but serious side effects, definitive solution |
| Injectable contraceptive | With | 97%¹ | Yes | Side effects |
| Periodic abstinence | Without | Up to 75% | Yes | Mental load and necessary rigor |
| Withdrawal | Without | 73%¹ | Yes | Constant attention |
| Spermicides | Without | 71%¹ | Yes | Mental load |
| Male thermal contraception | Without | 99.5% - 97.5%² | Yes | Daily wear constraint |
¹Source: WHO
²The effectiveness of male thermal contraception depends on the device used, strict adherence to the protocol, and medical follow-up. As these devices are mainly artisanal, little large-scale clinical data is currently available.
(i) Contraception - Collège de Médecine Générale, 2024 (ii) Cross-sectional survey on testicular retraction contraception devices: safety, acceptability, efficacy - Manon Guidarelli, 2023
³Only these two methods of contraception protect against STDs and STIs.
Key Criteria for Choosing
Choosing contraception means opting for what works for you and your partner(s). Several criteria help refine this choice:
- male, female, or dual contraception
- the level of effectiveness
- daily comfort of use
- impact on libido
- pleasure and relationship with the body
- reversible or irreversible nature
Added to this is temporality: a punctual or long-term solution? There is no universal answer, only a balance to be found and, if necessary, re-evaluated over time. The ideal contraception is the one that best suits your choices, your body, and your lifestyle.
Making a Choice, Alone and Together
If contraception were considered a shared topic, it would not always rely on the same bodies. Being responsible means being in control of one's fertility, whether you are a woman or a man. For equitable contraception, this implies opening a space for honest discussion: about constraints, fears, expectations, and trust. It also means accepting that this choice is personal and that there is no better choice than another. These questions are at the heart of the 37 degrés project, born from personal journeys and realizations that we tell in more detail in this article.
Rethinking contraception is not about multiplying options; it's about shifting perspective. It's about breaking away from the obvious, questioning norms, redistributing the burden, and recognizing everyone's responsibility. It's about making contraception an informed choice.
Because what concerns intimacy deserves to be looked at with care, equity, and trust.
