Male Birth Control Inches Closer

A long-hoped-for birth control method for men could finally be on the way. Or at least, we're getting closer.

Indian scientist Sujoy Guha has developed a male contraceptive by the unfortunate name of Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance. And it's starting to get recognition in the U.S.

RISUG, as we'll call it, works like this: Men receive an injection of chemicals that form a gel along the vas deferens -- the pathway that transports sperm.

The gel can last for 10 to 15 years. During that time it both reduces the number of sperm making the trip, and physically disables the ones that do make it safely through the passageway. WIRED Magazine writes that despite battling skeptics at each step, Guha "has prevailed because, in study after study, RISUG has been proven to work 100 percent of the time."

The icing on the cake? The major concern with vasectomies -- currently the only form of male contraception besides condoms -- is that they're not always reversible, and this is a risk many men are unwilling to take. According to the researchers involved, RISUG solves that problem. At any point the man can receive a second injection that dissolves the sperm-blocking gel and reverses the contraceptive.

The RISUG method has been in clinical trials in India for several years. U.S. researchers recently took notice and will start testing it out here. Elaine Lissner, director of the Male Contraception Information Project in San Francisco, bought the rights to the technique and will repeat the clinical trial process in the U.S. in hopes of readying it for FDA approval, writes Jezebel, a process that could likely take a long time.

RISUG isn't the only potential male contraceptive making waves. Today ABC News reported on a new drug called BMS-189453, which is said to quickly and reversibly stop sperm production. From ABC:

Developed more than 10 years ago as a possible treatment for skin and inflammatory diseases, the drug's sperm-stunting potential was originally considered a toxic side effect. "One company's toxin may be another person's contraceptive," said Debra Wolgemuth, a professor of genetics as well as obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center.

Ladies, your time may be nigh.

Comments

[admin4490]

12:45 AM on 06/19/2011

I've been reading these false blue smoke and mirrors "the male pill is coming" reports for over two decades now. The first fact is that there are too women with kids born out of wedlock that are dependent on the government for the FDA (which is part of the government) to give a male contraceptive a fair review and approve it.

Because if they did that the out of wedlock birthrate drop so fast that the government bureaucrats and politicians that support them would lose their jobs and elected offices.

Another fact is that there already is a safe and effective homeopathic male contraceptive method that's starting to get national attention and lots of users called the "t3 male contraceptive" at http://fatherhoodbychoice.org that was based on the work of Dr. M Voegeli from the 1940's. And all it is, is warm tap water applied to the testis for 21 days. And any man can google that fact for themselves if they really want to control their reproductive rights.

But as a long time men and fathers rights advocate it pains me to admit that the feminist are right when they say the vast majority of young men from high school age to 32 that need a male contraceptive the most just aren't smart enough to advocate for it.

[gunslinger012000]

06:18 PM on 06/10/2011

Jeebus, lets try and think up more ways we can be responsible for females and their bodies. Females too irresponsible to get themselves on birth control, here......us men will handle that for ya. Psssh.....it never ends. This isn't equality....it's special treatment and gives women more reason to shirk their responsibility and lays it all at men's feet. I guess the one good thing that can come with this is those women who decide "on their own" to get pregnant, keep the baby then try to force the guy to pay for it even though he didn't want it. Guess that decision is up to us now huh? As well it should be. Since the responsibility of this world rests on our shoulders (yet women "claim" they have a equal role but we all know the truth) then I guess they will just have to ask our permission before embarking on the ole "baby quest". "Honey can I get pregnant"? NO!!!

[OhShush]

12:12 AM on 06/11/2011

not sure if trolling or just very stupid

[lmwj]

03:20 PM on 06/09/2011

100% Go gay! Problem solved

[Dancenownzen]

12:15 PM on 06/09/2011

The SIMPLE answer to all of this.

Get a vasectomy AFTER you FREEZE enough sperm to make sure you can have kids if you want them at any time in your life.

This will
1) insure that the woman WILL NOT get pregnant ( you can;t always depend on a condom or the truth of a woman that she is on the pill)
2) insures against the ARNOLD or JOHN EDWARDS "situation" .....FREES men to play around without worrry of unwanted children

SOLVED

MOVE ON

[camnhuff]

12:29 PM on 06/09/2011

Are vasectomies affordable? How about the cost of paying to freeze and store sperm? This injection might be better for those who cannot afford the procedure and storage fees. Younger, lower income men probably have not been choosing these routes, so there needs to be an alternative where the guy can have more affordable choices. Teenaged guys might get the injection but have not been favorable to vasectomies. I think many don't want to have what they may consider an invasive medical procedure.

[sammyjo1088]

10:53 AM on 06/09/2011

I don't mean to be vulgar, but it also will have to be tested to make sure it's safe for women to ingest the "disabled" sperm that make it out through the tube, as well as for them to ingest tiny amounts of the gel (assuming that in licking it, they might accidentally come in contact with the gel and swallow a microscopic amount).

Sounds promising for guys that don't want to have to worry about getting a girl pregnant, though. It'll be quite a while before the FDA approves this, though...It takes sooooo long for new drugs to be approved.

[fd909]

02:23 PM on 06/09/2011

It's safe if they spit it out.

[lisac3333]

09:14 AM on 06/09/2011

Birth Control for men! How wonderful. At least it will provide the smart man with a tool to prevent his getting some woman pregnant. It still won't help with disease however. Smart women always use Birth Control. Unfortunately, it is the stupid men and women who have no responsibility towards the babies they are creating who will probably not use Birth Control. Wish there could be a world wide LAW established to forcibly inoculate every child at age 10 with Birth Control that lasts for at least 15 years so that most would at least be adults before they give birth. What a concept!

[bigmac4923]

08:46 AM on 06/09/2011

While I applaud the development of a male contraceptive - the responsibility for contraception can now be evenly spread - I worry about the potential negative side effects of this innovation. Since women are always responsible for any resulting children and men can occasionally escape responsibility or simply have to pay child support (which, obviously is not something most men want to do, but anyways), the woman is much more inclined to keep up with birth control because of her increased stakes. Even though I realize that this requires no maintenance, I imagine that some men will lie about having had the injection, and a woman may be none the wiser until months later. I hope I am simply being overly cynical...

[Dancenownzen]

12:17 PM on 06/09/2011

why would ANY MAN lie about this - the LAST thing a man wants is an unwanted FINANCIAL DRAIN fro the rest of his life

[bigmac4923]

12:26 PM on 06/09/2011

Have you ever watched the Maury Show, or any or other Jerry Springer spin-off? Some men (and women, apparently) don't consider the consequences and opt for instant gratification instead. Humans are silly, silly animals.

[mahiman1]

08:36 AM on 06/09/2011

How ever you were never told where the injection site is. Guess again... That's right the very tube filled with the jell. I'm glad I'm past the baby years!!!

[DakkonA]

02:21 AM on 06/09/2011

I'd like to know if there's any way to reverse it once it's in there... I mean things change, and what if in 5 years I wanted to have a kid?

[DakkonA]

02:22 AM on 06/09/2011

Oops. From the Ars technica article: "The great thing is that re-injecting a chemical will dissolve the gel and completely reverse the process."

[srheard]

08:39 PM on 06/08/2011

"And the icing on the cake?"

Now that the type of high-minded journalistic prose we expect here at HP! Good work, Ms. Neal.

[Odrade]

08:11 PM on 06/08/2011

I'm totally down assuming it doesn't change the experience and there are no major side effects. Not having to worry about it for 10 years sounds nice.

[jedwightn]

07:59 PM on 06/08/2011

Abstinence and masturbation, are the only two sure male birth control measures but hardly any fun. They also prevent STD's which the shot will not. Choose carefully!

[Copitlism]

07:55 PM on 06/08/2011

I think that male birth control, when it happens, will contribute greatly to a huge improvement in the areas that adopt it. When men can become fathers only when they decide they want to be, they will be better fathers than when they become one reluctantly. Fathers have been a weak link forever in the raising of children. Sure there are always great ones, but there have never been enough of those. Years ago a survey was done in prisons and they found the one thing male prisoners had in common more than any other thing was that they were raised by women only with no father present. When men become fathers when they want and are ready we will have better families, raise better children and lower the crime rate dramatically.

[lisac3333]

09:20 AM on 06/09/2011

When men are held to the same standards as women and practice some self control over their reproductive abilities, wear condoms and know that it is their EQUAL responsibility to NOT IMPREGNATE until they are ready, then men will not become UNWILLING fathers. When women understand that a man has a RIGHT to choose whom he wants to father children with and that women have NO RIGHT to ENTRAP or have babies by whatever guy is in their life, then and only then will this old world start to become a society unemcumbered by all the problems that currently exist.

[celestialmotion]

11:00 AM on 06/09/2011

I completely agree with you. It's time we started seeing things from the male perspective too. Women in our country have the right to use birth control , abort , give up for adoption ,or keep their child. Men have basically been told , too bad you do what she decides. I completely agree that having to force someone to do something verses letting them decide on their own is a much more destructive way of doing things resulting in resentment.
I can't begin to understand why women would have a problem with this. It's kind of funny they are now the ones saying HE can't be trusted to take HIS birth control. I'll be betting he can.

[TheLibraryOfCodex]

07:52 PM on 06/08/2011

"Inches"


Heh heh

[nofriendofrepublicans]

07:51 PM on 06/08/2011

6 inches closer?