New contraception campaign to also focus on men

Rutgers and SOA Aids Nederland are launching a new online campaign on Wednesday, World Contraception Day, aimed to also draw men's attention to contraception. According to the organizations, most of the responsibility of not becoming pregnant currently lies with women, while men are equally responsible for pregnancy, RTL Nieuws reports.

According to the organization, avoiding unwanted pregnancies is the responsibility of both men and women, but in practice it lies mainly on women's shoulders. "Most contraceptives are used by women", Rutgers said. "They have to go to a doctor, remember to take their contraceptives and may suffer from side effects. While preventing unintentional pregnancy is just as much the responsibility of men."

"The unjust distribution of the burden between men and women is increasingly being felt and more and more women are calling on men to also take responsibility", Rutgers said. Because women sometimes forget to take their pill, or have to stop taking contraceptives because of side effects or illness, it is important for men to also think about protection. 

With videos on Facebook and Instagram, the two organizations will highlight the importance of contraception to both women and men. Men can help carry the responsibility by wearing a condom, reminding their partners to have their pill prescription refilled, or by sharing the costs of contraception, for example. 

According to Rutgers, one in five women in the Netherlands have experienced an unintentional pregnancy.