A new method of male contraception that is as effective as a vasectomy but entirely reversible with little to no side-effects is being tested and is showing promising results in animal trials.
If it is successful, it could drastically change the field of contraception. It would give men the power to prevent a pregnancy without any input from women using a method that is not permanent, such as the vasectomy.
The vasectomy is currently the only reliable contraceptive option available to men. It is a minor surgical procedure where the the duct that conveys sperm from the testicle to the urethra is tied or cut. The challenge is that it is not reversible.
The new contraceptive – Vasalgel – is a type of no-scalpel vasectomy. It has no hormonal effects or other side-effects, and can be reversed when the man wants to start a family.
In the same way that a vasectomy would, Vasalgel blocks the flow of sperm from the testicles to the penis. But it does not require any surgery. Instead of severing the tube that carries sperm – called the vas deferens – a gel is injected into the tube, forming a barrier that blocks sperm but allows other fluids to pass through.
Low uptake of vasectomies
Vasectomies are usually quick and straightforward procedures that carry minor risks like bleeding or infection. There is also a small chance that a man might experience post-vasectomy pain due to pressure build-up in the testicles.
Although very few vasectomies fail or go wrong, globally there has been a low uptake of this procedure.
In 2013 only 2.2% of men globally had vasectomies. This compares to 18.9% of women who underwent female sterilisation. Although some countries like Canada have higher rates of men who have undergone a vasectomy (22%), in Africa only 0.1% of men have undergone vasectomies.
On the continent, vasectomies could be one of the most effective male birth control methods because they are inexpensive and could therefore have a major impact on sustainable development and population growth. But the procedure is misunderstood and, as a result, is poorly used.
A second attempt
The new contraceptive is not the first time a male contraceptive has been introduced. Several years ago, the idea of the “male pill” was abandoned and more recent research efforts have been focusing on intra-vas devices, including Vasalgel.
Previous efforts to develop a male contraceptive focused on hormonal manipulation, which is how the contraceptive “pill” for women works. A man would basically be given hormones (like testosterone and progesterone) and these hormones would then interfere with certain processes in the body and cause the testicles to stop producing sperm.
The male hormone testosterone is linked to sperm production and by lowering the testosterone level in a man’s testicles you can prevent the production of sperm. But to lower testosterone in the testicles, you have to increase testosterone levels in the blood. Several studies have shown that there are too many unpleasant side-effects to this. These include aggression, depression, fatigue, low libido, high blood pressure and an increase in cholesterol levels.
Researchers have also tried to tweak the method of hormonal male contraception by adding other hormones, like the female hormone progesterone. But it still had too many side-effects and wasn’t effective enough.
Final steps
Vasalgel is currently being tested in humans but its reversibility has only been shown in animal studies. These studies have shown rapid restoration of sperm flow.
For the reversal to happen, the man gets an injection of a bicarbonate solution into the duct that conveys sperm from the testicle to the urethra. This bicarbonate solution will dissolve the Vasalgel and it is flushed from the duct.
The challenge with Vasalgel is that although it blocks the flow of sperm, it does not offer any protection against the transmission of sexually-transmitted infections such as HIV.
Family planning is still considered a woman’s responsibility in many parts of the world. This has prevented men from being more involved in family decisions about fertility. It has also limited their access to family planning services targeted at them. The new method could be the first step to change this.
Originally Published on The Conversation
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Photo: Getty Images
“A New Male Contraceptive Could Help Men Bear the Family Planning Burden” Burden? Considering the fact that we have no reproductive rights and could end up as an indentured servant for the most productive years of our lives due to an accidental pregnancy even if (which studies now show men are more then women) the male was the one taking responsibility for birth control, a reversable vasectomy would be a Godsend. What you call “burden”, I call liberating. Male choice is one of the issues at the forefront of the men’s rights movement. Beyond that it would certainly be refreshing… Read more »
I’ve been following the progress of vasagel for a while now and it’s exciting really.
Total reproductive control that can be reversed, awesome. Right now it’s condoms or vasectomy and condoms are terrible and now that I’m seperated from the mother of my children I may want to have more some day so a vasectomy is out too (although it was something I was looking into when I was married and didn’t think I’d want more kids. Divorce was a surprise, so I’m happy i didn’t lol).
Is it REALLY better than a vasectomy?
This question is so loaded its almost click bait.
On one side you have a procedure that while highly effective is pretty must permanent and irreversible.
On the other you have a procedure that is highly effective for up to 10 years but can be selectively turned on and off with only a few weeks of downtime (and by “downtime” I mean between when its administered/turned off and when the change goes into affect).
I don’t think there is any question which one is better.
“It would give men the power to prevent a pregnancy without any input from women” Why should a man need input from a woman? Last I heard women didn’t need input from a man to get birth control.
“Is it REALLY better than a vasectomy?” Better for the man and as such better because it is reversible. If you say that a person (including I assume men) have a right to control their reproductive choices then having a reversible procedure continues to allow you control over your choices. A vasectomy also has a three day recovery time so assuming that you didn’t want someone to know you were getting one, it’s a little more difficult to cover. I wonder how long it would be before feminists complained that men had too much control over family planning and could… Read more »