Birth control shot for men could be here by 2017
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There may be another birth control option headed our way, and the guys will get to take the lead on this one. The Parsemus Foundation has tested an injectable, non-hormonal polymer contraceptive on male baboons that appears to successfully prevent pregnancy in females, Medical Daily reports.
The procedure, which requires just one Vasalgel injection for long-lasting effects, also seems to be reversible and is hopefully headed into human trials next year, with a possible market date of 2017.
The Daily Beast explains the process: Instead of snipping the vas deferens as a vasectomy does, the contraceptive is shot directly into the reproductive tube; the polymer then keeps sperm from entering.
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To reverse it, another injection can flush out the polymer. The method could prove useful to "a 20-something or 30-something man out on the dating market," according to a post in the New York Times by a foundation official.
But it won’t likely be embraced by pharmaceutical companies, which bank on women taking "the pill" long-term, notes Medical Daily. At least one Jezebel commenter isn't optimistic about Vasalgel's appeal: "Something tells me that dudes will not be too keen on the injection aspect of this." (A future birth-control chip for women could last 16 years.)
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