Gaming The System

There was an interesting article in Slate last week about the potential development of a male birth control pill.

The detail that struck me (and here my biases are revealed) is the potential abuses to which this drug could be turned. Its mechanism is fairly simple; a man takes a dose of progesterone (the secondary female hormone) which prevents fertilization, and to compensate for any feminizing effects, also takes testosterone.

Suppose this drug attained the same status as the female birth control pill. It would be relatively easy for a man to go to his doctor, get a prescription, never take any of the progesterone, and essentially have a legal prescription for steroids. I know that's what I would do. Of course, if the FDA realizes what could be done, they'll never approve the drug. But here's hoping they don't catch on.