*These student interviews were conducted on the Main Green of Brown University*

What forms of contraception do you know about?

Female: Birth control pill, well not contraception but there's also the abortion pill, but also the morning after pill which is actually emergency contraception good up to 72 hours after.

F: Other than the pill? None.

F: I would hope all of them. Condoms, birth control pills, diaphragms all those other types of methods…spermicide. I think if I was sexually active on a regular basis I would definitely be on birth control pills.

F: Well I take orthotrycyclin everyday. Like condoms…if you say it I would say I've heard of it.

Male: Condoms, dental dams, birth control. Condoms are alright, they're obnoxious, but they're OK. Pills are better I guess but they don't protect you from a lot of other stuff.

M: Male condom, female condom, IUD, two kinds of pills, Norplan.

M: Condoms. Birth control pills, diaphragm…withdrawal…and chance, that's what I learned in high school. I think (condoms) are the safest.

Whose responsibility does contraception lie upon?

F: I think it's anyone's responsibility who is sexually active. I think probably women feel like they have more responsibility since they're generally the ones taking the pill, but I think that if you have a good relationship where you decide to have sex then it should be talked about with both male and female partner.

F: Probably both, but probably more the female because she's the one who has to take it [the pill] every night.

F: I would say it's the female's responsibility. It's her body and she needs to take care of her body.

M: I guess it should probably be both parties involved you would think so, but when it comes down to it, usually it's the female I would say.

F: I would say that I just know a lot of girls that start taking (birth control pills) when they were younger to clear up their skin so I think there's just a tendency because of the other things that are associated with taking ortho(trycyclin) girls are said to take it more, and so in that sense it's turned into them just taking it more. It's turned into their responsibility. I don't think it's made that way; it's come to be that way.

M: It depends. I think in general it's a joint problem; if two people are having sex then it's a two-person issue.

M: All my responsibility. I mean, it's my sperm, right?

F: Both.

What is your view on the morning after pill, birth control pill, and RU 486 in therms of ethics and their relationship with abortion issues, and how do you feel those issues apply?

F: I think that the abortion pill RU 486 should be likened to exactly a surgical procedure for an abortion. It's the same decision. In fact, a lot of women feel it's more invasive than the surgical procedure, it takes two days and is sometimes has more serious side effects. So, those just get tied up with the ethical issues of abortion, of which there are many which vary from person to person. As far as birth control and the morning after pill go, the morning after pill is used to prevent pregnancy it doesn't really have anything to do with pregnancy because it wont work if you're already pregnant. I would say ethically that birth control and emergency contraception is a woman's right to control her own health.

F: I think that the morning after pill is good to have and that people should have access to it. I don't know what RU 486 is.

F: I don't know…I think sometimes stuff happens and you need something like the morning after pill. I don't necessarily think moral issues are involved in it; if something happens it's a safety valve.

F: Well I guess it would be whether or not by preventing, is it really worth preventing the formation of a human being that would have otherwise occurred, or could otherwise have occurred, and with the morning after pill that ethical issue is just increased.

M: I think it's an individual choice. I have ethical issues, but I think its anyone's choice to make for themselves. I guess my only stance on it is that it is an individual's choice and if it's something they feel comfortable with that's healthy to their body, then it's safe. I think (RU 486) is a great idea. I think it's a wonderful tool especially for women, but also for couples.

M: Side effects on women…I'm really worried about the health of women. I can't handle the fact that they have to suffer through the side effects and not me, and I think that's not fair at all.

F: I feel like you definitely use it as a last resort. I obviously feel you should be responsible the night before instead of the morning after.

M: I don't really have any ethical objections to it.

Are you aware of any male oral contraceptives?

F: No. Are they available?…I think that would be great. I think its funny, talking about ethics, that women are totally ready to suspend their reproductive cycle to enjoy their sexuality that much longer whereas I think men will probably have a big problem taking a pill that might inhibit their reproductive organs for just a short period of time. I think it will be interesting to see who is willing to take that depending on how it works.

F: I heard something about that but it didn't sound like it was (ready yet).

F: No, definitely not.

M: (laughs) No, never heard of it.

M: I've heard that they're working on them, but I don't know if they're out yet.

How would males feel about taking a pill that would temporarily make them infertile?

M: I think it would be more of a pain than anything going from not having to take anything pretty much all the time to having to take a pill and having a pill pack and that sort of stuff; I don't think I could deal with that. I think taking oral contraceptives versus a vasectomy would be a good choice, but maybe as compared to having to wear condoms it just depends on how sexually active you are I guess.

F: I think that the reason that that would be acceptable is because it doesn't really interrupt any processes. I would say that the reason it's fine taking the pill and everything and you don't really think about it is because it doesn't really change anything. Everything is exactly the same, and so if that's exactly how the male pill were to act…it would probably be weird just because its so common place when you say the pill you just think of girls taking it everyday so it would probably be a very alien concept.

M: That's great, I'm all for it.

M: Oh, I wouldn't want that. That's why I'm against birth control pills. I mean, I'm afraid if I take that, what's going to happen to my sperm? I don't know why but I would be worried about…I want my sperm to be there. I'm pretty sure it's safe for girls, I'm pretty sure girls don't want any pills that mess up their bodies.

F: I think that they eventually will (feel comfortable about taking it), but it will take a while because I'm sure they're going to have this whole "we're not supposed to be responsible" deal, but I think eventually it will be more widespread.

M: I'd take it.