But given the massive demand by women I wouldn't call it "patriarchy".
The massively potent synthetic hormones used by the pill are showing up in water supplies now. To me that externality is enough reason to ban it, people don't get to expose guys to estrogenic shit so they can avoid pregnancy.
It's also patriarchy at work that men would never tolerate even 1/10th of the risks women face in preventing pregnancy. Look at the responses to getting a small injection - "nobody would ever do that"! Hormonal birth control is great for some women, but terrible for others. It can also cause suicidality, but the side effects are routinely downplayed because women are expected to "deal with it". There's more research into how to keep men's hair from falling out and keep their dicks hard than there is into the most comfortable way to insert IUDs, or the side effects of hormonal birth control.
There are loads of birth control options for women. Various pills. Injections. Patches. IUDs. Implants. Research for better, safer methods is constantly ongoing. Why even pretend that no research is being done and it’s just oppression? It’s weird. Men aren’t actively trying to make women sick. The warnings are pretty clear—women choose to accept the risks and the risks of current treatments are chemical factors, not something to do with “patriarchy.” There are loads of women working in the medical research industry as well.
Honestly, there’s more safe birth control options for women than there are safe options for men to prevent hair loss. Currently, no simple or affordable treatment exists. Either you’re spending years of income for hair plugs that convince nobody up close or using chemical treatments that have mental and libido risks that often are equal to or worse than birth control pills. Boner pills also carry risks and they were basically discovered by accident.
This patriarchy stuff and pretending “patriarchy” isn’t allowing research into birth control is pure conspiracy theory stuff with all evidence proving the contrary. Those injectables men get have a very high risk of being irreversible and causing harm far greater than any modern birth control options for women—that’s why they’re not common. Dudes would love to know they can’t possibly be on the hook for child support. You’d be richer than Bezos in 5 years if you could find a solution. But it has not happened.
Based on what, anecdotes and your projection?
Anecdotally many men have voiced that if they could endure the pain of childbirth in place of their wives, they would. But I suppose that doesn't fit the narrative.
Women simply have a much higher incentive to prevent pregnancy because they are much more affected by pregnancy. The worst thing that happens for a man is that they have to pay alimony. Women face the risks of pregnancy and birth or an abortion.
You mean child support, but more accurately: men would either be faced with raising the child also, or paying a hefty sum for almost 20 years. I guess that's easy to brush off?
As for preventing pregnancy, plenty of men opt for vasectomies when they know having a kid is off the table. The rate is not as high in the U.S. as other countries in the West, but it's still 1/10.
Existing birth control options for women also have high risk of mental health issues though. So people might reasonably question why were approved for women but not for men.
So far, men’s birth controls haven’t been legalized because the risks have been pretty massive. The last trial I heard of had a massive risk of suicide. “Patriarchy” has no part of it.