What happens if a guy takes birth control?

By Attia @ Planned Parenthood | April 14, 2021, 4:11 p.m.

If a cisgender man or person assigned male at birth takes hormonal birth control (like the pill) once or twice, nothing will happen. Taking birth control pills won’t do anything to help prevent pregnancy for someone assigned male at birth, and may come with some health risks, so only take birth control pills if they were prescribed to you by a doctor or nurse.

While there aren’t any hormonal birth control options for cisgender men and people assigned male at birth right now, there are other options for preventing pregnancy. Condoms are an easy-to-use, affordable, and effective way to prevent both pregnancy and STDs. They’re sold in lots of different stores and online, and you can even get them for free from many health centers.

Note: Birth control pills are not the same as feminizing hormone therapy. Gender-affirming hormone therapy is an option if you want to better match your gender identity and your body. Your doctor or nurse can help you understand your options.

No matter your gender, it’s important to discuss your birth control options and hormonal changes with a nurse or doctor. The staff at your local Planned Parenthood health center can help.

Tags: birth control, male birth control pill, hormones, gender_affirming_hormone_therapy