Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • The Future of Sex Is Non-binary Genital Surgery That Advances Bodily Agency

  • Is Equity Crowdfunding the Future of Sex Tech Investment?

  • Sex Tech News: New VR Sex Game, a User-Generated Erotica App and ‘Porn for TV’ Streaming Relaunches

  • Blyynd Brings on Investors to Build Anonymous Sexting App

  • A Fitbit for the Penis? The FirmTech Tech Ring Product Review

  • Sex Tech at CES 2023: 6 Brands Exhibited, Including an Anonymous Sexting App

  • Sex Tech Mixers, Hackathons & Conferences [UPDATED]

  • What Vibrating Buttplug Support in a Video Game Taught Us About the Future of Webcam Work

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Augmentation > The Rocky Journey to Accessible Male Birth Control

Augmentation
Home›Augmentation›The Rocky Journey to Accessible Male Birth Control

The Rocky Journey to Accessible Male Birth Control

By Reba Thomas
January 3, 2019
2299
1

If you're eagerly awaiting more contraceptive options for men, stop holding your breath.

Excitement is growing among men and women alike about the impending availability of male birth control. From pills to topical gels to injections, there are several contraceptives for men in development.

Yet despite hopeful reports from scientists and the media, the reality is it may still be a long time before male birth control becomes available to consumers.

When will male birth control be available?

Currently, the only available options for male birth control are condoms and vasectomies. At this time, there is no definitive timeline for when any of the male contraceptive options in development will be available to the public.

The male birth control pill has been in development for more than 60 years and will likely be the first method available to consumers.

But when it will become available remains a mystery.

In March 2017, Airlangga University in Indonesia announced their partnership with Harsen Laboratories and plans to distribute the world’s first male birth control pill by September 2018.

This announcement was preceded by two earlier announcements touting the drug’s impending release in 2013 and 2015 respectively. As of this writing, the drug is still not available and no public updates have been provided since 2017.

The troubled history of the male pill

The male birth control pill has been in development since 1957, when endocrinologist Gregory Pincus, co-creator of the female birth control pill, first tested the same approach on men.

Dr. Elsimar Coutinho

Dr. Elsimar Coutinho

Unfortunately, interest in this side of Pincus’ research was low at the time, given the enormous popularity of the female pill.

In the 1960s, Brazilian fertility doctor Elsimar Coutinho began working with the Chinese government on the development of gossypol, a non-hormonal method of oral contraception for men.

Clinical trials showed gossypol pills successfully reduced male sperm count. However, the results were permanent for many study participants as sperm levels did not return to normal after they stopped taking the drug.

Further studies conducted over the next three decades concluded that over time, gossypol also caused damage to the lining of the ducts that store sperm. In 1998, this research was abandoned after the World Health Organization declared gossypol unsuitable for male contraceptive use due to the toxic side effects and risk of infertility.

Another successful but halted attempt

In the late 1970s, the National Institutes of Health began clinical trials for a new, injectable method of male birth control. These trials resulted in several studies proving that testosterone injections for male contraception were just as effective as female contraception.

Further studies over the next three decades confirmed the efficacy and reversibility of this method. However, the most recent trial, backed by the World Health Organization and the Canadian Oilsands Network for Research and Development (CONRAD), was terminated prematurely by an independent safety review panel due to the frequency and severity of adverse side effects.

The study results published in 2016 listed the following as the most common side effects: acne, injection site pain, increased libido, and mood disorders. Two serious adverse events were reported by men in the study including the attempted suicide of one participant (out of 320 total participants), which ultimately led to the termination of the trial.

To compare, the most common side effects suffered by women using birth control pills include: nausea, headaches, weight gain, decreased libido, mood changes, vaginal dryness, irregular bleeding, blood clots, seizures, heart conditions, abdominal pain, blurred vision, and in rare cases death.

Obstacles to reaching the market

In order for any of the male contraceptive methods in development to become available for purchase at the pharmacy, scientists must first conduct human clinical trials, which can be quite expensive.
“We’re talking about drugs men are going to take for a really long time, so the pathway for approval is long too,” explains Diana Blithe, program director for contraception development at the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Before a drug is eligible for an FDA application, three phases of clinical trials must be conducted. Scientists in the field of male contraception have historically struggled with declining interest from pharmaceutical companies to fund the trials needed to obtain FDA approval.

According to the Male Contraceptive Initiative, only “10% of drugs [in development], on average, make it from Phase I to market.”

Lack of funding and commercial interest

Despite the estimated global market value of up to $200 billion and numerous multicultural studies citing the willingness of men to use male contraception, there is still a diminutive interest from pharmaceutical companies to support male contraception research. Financial support from nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, as well as government agencies continues, but at decreased levels.

In the last fifteen years, three major pharmaceutical companies have pulled the plug on research programs focused on male contraception. Companies have indicated these decisions were motivated by “changes in corporate direction.”

In an interview with Mosaic, Coelingh Bennink, a former executive on one of the terminated studies, provides insight into the executive atmosphere and attitudes that could be driving corporate perceptions:

At board level it was only middle-aged white males… I tried to explain how important [male contraceptive research] could be, but they never got further than saying to each other, ‘Would you do it?’ ‘No, I wouldn’t do it.’ It was not considered male behavior to take responsibility for contraception.

Image sources: Anqa, fotos GOVBA

Reba Thomas

Reba Thomas is the CEO and Founder of Sexpert Consultants LLC and the Co-founder and Principal Consultant at 38 Creatives Media Group. She specializes in sexual health education, content creation, resource development, and marketing/communications.

Her written works for Future of Sex focuses on sextech products and male contraception.

She is a member of Women of Sex Tech and serves as an ambassador for the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington (PPMW). In the past, she has served as an educator for O. school where she taught live, interactive sexuality classes on this women-owned platform geared specifically toward minority audiences.

Reba attended Howard University and received sexual health education training through Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health Promotion.
Previous Article

Nutaku Unveils LGBTQ+ Sex Game Section for ...

Next Article

Siri Can Now Control Sex Saddles, Thanks ...

Related articles More from author

  • Virginity Pills
    Augmentation

    How ‘Virginity Pills’ Reveal Sex Tech’s Shameful Side

    January 30, 2020
    By M. Christian
  • Birth-Control-for-the-month
    Augmentation

    New Type of Once-per-month Oral Contraceptive Successfully Tested

    February 6, 2020
    By M. Christian
  • Augmentation

    Stem Cell Therapy Could Treat Female Sexual Arousal Disorders

    June 17, 2016
    By Jasmine van den Hoek
  • A animation of a single sperm.
    Augmentation

    Scientists Create Artificial Sperm That Produce Healthy Mice Offspring

    April 6, 2016
    By Ben Barnes
  • IUD Plastic
    Augmentation

    Does Having an IUD Make You a Biohacker or a Cyborg?

    December 23, 2020
    By Carolyn Stransky
  • Low Libido Drugs
    Augmentation

    Women’s Low Libido Drugs Sold Off by Pharma Company

    February 5, 2020
    By Natasha Turner

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • RobotsSex Tech

    Dolly Dearest: Photographer Captures Human Desire in the Artificial

  • Augmentation

    Trouble Fitting BDSM into Your Life? Try Augmented Reality!

  • The silhouette of a woman, outlined in red, appears on a black background. The women is posed in a sexy stance, slightly bent and revealing she is wearing heels.
    Sex Tech

    How the Rise of Internet Pornography Is Good for the Future of Sex

Virtual Lust is a 3D interactive sex game.
3DXChat
Discover the best virtual sex parties and 3D sex worlds.
  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Porn for TV logo (computer screen graphic with pink u shapes and a mouse cursor).

    Sex Tech News: New VR Sex Game, a User-Generated Erotica App and ‘Porn for TV’ ...

  • The Blyynd logo with two screens. One has a chat screen and one has the sexual desire options listed.

    Blyynd Brings on Investors to Build Anonymous Sexting App

  • FirmTech Tech Ring

    A Fitbit for the Penis? The FirmTech Tech Ring Product Review

  • Sex Tech at CES 2023: 6 Brands Exhibited, Including an Anonymous Sexting App

  • What Vibrating Buttplug Support in a Video Game Taught Us About the Future of Webcam ...

  • Is Virtual Reality Dating Going Mainstream?

  • Sex Doll Brothels: Reality vs. Expectation

  • Replika AI Chatbot saved human marriage

    How Replika’s AI Chatbot Saved One Man’s Human Marriage

  • Meet the Humans Forming Romantic Relationships With AI

    Replika Romance: Meet the Humans Forming Romantic Relationships With AI

  • The future of sex is mind-reading AI that reveals your deepest, most unconscious fantasies

    The Future of Sex Is Mind-Reading AI That Reveals Your Deepest, Most Unconscious Fantasies

  • Sex Robots Are Getting Closer to Feeling Human-Like With Second Skin Materials

    Sex Robots Are Getting Closer to Feeling Human-Like With Second Skin Materials

  • R/gonewildaudio's gender inclusive audio erotica

    /R/gonewildaudio: An Array of Free, Inclusive and Categorized Audio Erotica

  • Fantasy Inspired Sex Toy by Tentickle Toys

    Out of This World: How Fantasy-Inspired Sex Toys Could Be the Next Big Trend

  • Virtual Sex in the Metaverse

    Virtual Sex Will Soon Become a Reality in the Metaverse

  • OnlyBans Game Play As A Sex Worker

    Play as a Sex Worker in New Onlybans Game

  • Black chess pieces laying across an orange background.

    Teledildonics and Chess: The Unexpected Possibilities That Could Enhance Sex

  • A couple with a woman sitting on a man's lap. They each are holding the Tenuto 2 with one hand.

    Tenuto 2 Erection-Enhancing Vibrator Rises To The Occasion

  • Woman looking at a laptop in a bed. You can see a blurry European city outside of the window.

    Here’s How Often Each European Country Is Searching For Sex Toys Online

  • A Woman Showing Her Smartphone.

    Disclosing Trans-ness on Dating Apps

  • Image of Emma the AI bot.

    Will Young Women of the Future Feel Pressure to Perform Like Robots?

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Sex Games and Most Realistic Sex Simulators of 2021 [UPDATED]

    0
  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
  • Sex Games for Mac

    The Best Sex Games for Mac

    0
  • foot-fetish-sex-games-girlvania

    Foot Fetish Games That Will Knock Your Socks Off

    0
  • The Best RPG Sex Games of 2021

    0
Fantasy sex game Dream Sex World lets you explore your wildest desires.
Multiplayer sex world Red Light Center continues to impress with its massive userbase and incredible sex graphics.
A blonde and light-skinned love doll face sppears next to the text Go now realdollxthe future is real.
  • 27KFollowers

Like Us on Facebook

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up for our monthly newsletter sharing the very best of the future of sex from our publication and others across the web.

DreamSexWorld offers a stunning XXX 3D world filled with incredibly interactive erotic experiences.

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

RLC_ad_v2

Tweets by @FutureofSex
Future of Sex Report

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2022 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT