Psychological issues resulting from the development of new male contraceptives

I am grateful to Dr. Fielding for his comments on male sexuality, which our paper (Bulletin, October 1982) prompted. However, I fear his concerns to be as misplaced as his citation ('unpublished observations') will remain elusive. The study cited in the paper will be published in full elsewhere (Journal of Behavioral Assessment). No assumptions were made about the nature of the processes under investigation; we were merely interested in the reliability of different recording methods. Our parameters were defined by previous research carried out by the World Health Organization's Special Program of Research in Human Reproduction (1982), with the relationship of morning erections to bladder distension duly acknowledged. Dr. Fielding's remaining points are equally misleading. Although we may all speculate on the merits or demerits of retarding ejaculation, our preference would be to obtain data, particularly in view of the cross-cultural significance of such information. Similarly, that spermatozoa constitute less than 1% of the total volume of ejaculatory fluid is academic in the absence of precise methods of abolishing spermatogenesis without impairing sexuality or health status. The question as to the potential acceptability of hypothetical methods decreasing volume of ejaculate remain, especially when considering the important distinction between objective and subjective appraisals of change (Marshall, 1977).