UK Men’s Online Accounts Triangulated with Global Reproductive Medical Experts’ Constructions of a Male Contraceptive Gel: A two study Discourse Analysis

Objective: There is a lack of research into social acceptability of a male transdermal contraceptive gel (MCG). The objective was to explore men’s online accounts of a MCG and triangulate this with data from interviews with Reproductive Medical Experts to understand how the social acceptability is constructed.Study Design: The design was a two-study qualitative research project. Study 1 used Internet Mediated research on men’s comments to three newspaper articles published in the United Kingdom. Study 2 utilized interviews with Reproductive Medical Experts to illustrate their perceptions and understandings of a male transdermal contraceptive gel. Both studies were analyzed using discourse analysis.Results: The analysis resulted in 3 discourses emerging. Study 1, ‘Acceptable Among Men in Committed Relationships Only’; study 2, ‘A Broad Range of Male Contraceptive Options are Necessary’ and ‘NES/T Developed from Hormones in Female Contraception’. These discourses were dominant and occurred in over half of the participants accounts.Conclusion: There is a need for further options for men to take primary responsibility for contraception. The MCG was seen as relevant to those in committed relationships, with desire expressed for other new options for men in uncommitted relationships. Further, there were concerns over the side-effects both long-term and short term in study 1, with study 2 contradicting this showing that Nestorone has already safely been used in female contraceptives for over 50 years. These findings suggest that when participating in media interviews, Reproductive Medical Experts should emphasize how the MCG is derived from female contraceptives already proven safe.