Make Way For A New Birth Control: The Man Pill

by Monica Joshi

Male contraception is coming and it is about to change everything. Well, at least the way we think about male contraception. Vasalgel, a male contraceptive owned by the medical research organization named the Parsemus Foundation, is poised as the first FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved male contraceptive since the condom.

What's more, it's estimated to hit the US market around 2018-2020 and is a non-hormonal alternative to the condom. One injection would last for years. Earlier research from Berlin tells us that at least half of men would use it.

Vasalgel is a polymer which is injected under local anesthetic into the man’s sperm-carrying tubes. These are accessible through the scrotum. However, it is not injected in his penis or testicles. It works by blocking sperm and is expected to be reversible through a second injection that dissolves the polymer. While we don't completely know its length of efficacy and whether or not it’s fully reversible, medical trials are already on their way, beginning in 2016, to test these possibilities.

Another advantage of Vasalgel is that while it blocks sperm, other fluid can still pass through. This should reduce any risk of pain due to back pressure, an occasional issue with vasectomies. This could make Vasalgel a best-seller, even among men seeking a permanent contraceptive option.

Of course, you might well be skeptical about whether men will actually choose the Vasalgel injection. Yet every year, there are millions around the globe who get vasectomies. Vasectomies are both more invasive and, unlike Vasalgel, are intended to be permanent and tough to reverse.

While there are a few other options in the contraceptive department for men that are currently being tested, they all involve taking a pill. Gendarussa, anti-Eppin agent, as well as 'Clean Sheets Pill', are non-hormonal, but they involve taking a pill. However, these contraceptives are the first in line because they have support from clinical trials. Due to advances in biotechnology, researchers keep getting new ideas; the bulk of them non-hormonal.

As many women would attest, avoiding hormones would be a luxury - ensuring that contraception was worry and side-effect free. Not every woman finds the more effective contraceptives, such as intrauterine (IUS or IUD) or implant devices acceptable, possibly due to hormones or their unpredictable effect on menstruation. Others, such as the Pill, may not be the best option because of our human nature to forget things.

For women, it will be life-changing to have men help out in the contraceptive department, with a method other than condoms. They could replace or supplement a woman’s existing method—both partners taking something is better than one.

This doesn't mean that condoms will go away just because of a new male contraceptive. In fact, they probably shouldn't, as they will still protect partners from sexually transmitted infections.

This is a total game changer for couples as well as single women and men. It moves the contraceptive burden into shared territory. Male contraception, therefore, is bound to make a lot of guys happy. Being able to control the when, if, and with whom you become a parent is a big deal. But you can expect their partners to smile, too.