Since the successful introduction of “the pill” in the 1960s, there has been an increasing number of birth control options for women to prevent unintended pregnancies. These options have ranged from pills, injections, spermicides, diaphragms, sponges, and intrauterine devices, many of which act as a physical barrier during sex or temporarily render the female infertile. Men on the other hand have had a much smaller selection of birth control options — mainly condoms, vasectomies (male sterilization), and the much less effective “pull out” method.
Aside from the sheer number of choices women have, the main difference between male and female contraceptives is that women have the option to become temporarily infertile while men do not. To help address this disparity in male birth control options, a number of different research teams have been investigating new compounds which might one day be used in a form of “the pill” for men.
Dr. Joseph Tash and his team from the University of Kansas Medical Center is such group. He and his team have been conducting research over the past ten years on the compound H2-gamendazole, a chemical that can prevent sperm from being created in the testes. While their results thus far have been promising (the compound prevents the creation of sperm and is a reversible effect), the compound has only been studied in animals and has yet to be given the go-ahead from the US Federal and Drug Administration to begin clinical trials on humans. Drug trials take time, so H2-gamendazole will not be commercially available for at least 10 years.
Yet the prospects of a new type of birth-control for men raise many questions. What are the implications of such a breakthrough?
One benefit of introducing male birth control pills is that it could help substantially with family planning in monogamous couples. According to the World Health Organization, 87 million unintended pregnancies occur each year (approximately 42 per cent of all pregnancies). Typical use of common contraceptives such as condoms and birth control pills are not always effective in preventing pregnancy; for instance, one study found that 8 per cent of women had unintended pregnancies with typical use of birth control pills and 15 per cent of women had unintended pregnancies with typical use of condoms by their male partners.
WENDY GU/THE VARSITY
While using condoms and birth control pills in tandem significantly reduces the risk of pregnancy, it is not always optimal because one partner may have an adverse reaction to one of the contraceptive methods. Male birth control pills would offer monogamous couples another method to overcome this obstacle in order to prevent unintended pregnancies.
Nevertheless, while male birth control pills could help reduce unintended pregnancy rates, they would offer little in terms of protection against sexually transmitted infection (STI) in people looking for a one-night stand. While many STIs are treatable (such as chlamydia and gonorrhea), some are chronic and permanent, such as HIV. Condoms and other safe-sex supplies should always be used in these more risky types of encounters to ensure that disease are not transmitted.
While developments are taking place in the realm of male-focused contraceptives, much research and time is still needed in order to verify their effectiveness and to ensure their safety.
