Pulling Out of the Conversation? Masculinity, Responsibility, and the Politics of Male Birth Control in the Netherlands

Author: Alycia Lacourt

Abstract:

Contraceptive responsibility has long been shaped by gendered assumptions that cast it as primarily a woman’s concern, leaving men’s roles underexplored in both public discourse and academic research. Guided by scholarship on hegemonic and emerging masculinities, this thesis asks: How do men living in the Netherlands perceive and navigate contraceptive responsibility? What do their personal narratives reveal about the information available in public discourse, social media, healthcare, and personal decision-making? Based on qualitative interviews with young men, the study identifies five key themes: gendered responsibility, negotiation in relationships, risk-taking and method preferences, emerging masculinities, and informational barriers. The findings show how dominant masculine ideals can limit men’s active engagement with contraception, while more reflexive, caring masculinities offer space for change. This research contributes to debates in medical sociology, gender studies, and reproductive justice by highlighting how contraceptive responsibility is not merely individual but embedded in cultural scripts and institutional exclusions.

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