What Are the Available Male Birth Control Options

Traditionally, male birth control includes condoms and vasectomies. More recently the male contraceptive shot has been designed, and pharmaceutical companies are also studying a birth control pill for men that will hit the market in the near future. Vasectomies although reversible in theory have sometimes proved false friends. And remaining infertile for the rest of their lives seems like a risk few men would take.

This is why the shot or the pill seem a more appealing option for male pregnancy control than vasectomy. Developed by an Indian scientist, the male contraceptive injection reduces the number of sperm and disables the spermatozoa that travel through the sperm pathways. The injection contains a number of chemicals that form a gel against the pathway of the sperm. This gel can last between 10 to 15 years, and so far, in studies, this form of male birth control has proven to work 100%.

For several years now, the male pregnancy control shot has been in clinical trials in India. It is now being tested in the United States as well, as the Male Contraception Information Project in San Francisco bought the rights to the technique. The clinical trial process will be repeated in the United States until this form of male birth control will get ready for FDA approval. The sperm-stunting potential of the male birth control shot was initially considered a toxic side effect of a drug used for skin and inflammatory diseases. Taken from there, as part of lab tests and lots of experiments the medical formula sounds promising enough.

The problem with the male pregnancy control shot could be that it presents no financial potential for drug companies for the main reason that the contraceptive solution remains viable for years on end. This is probably the reason why so little progress has been made with male birth control in the Western world.

However, we should also mention the fact that such an injection is usually an option for married or stable couples who already have children or don't plan to have a baby soon. Otherwise, it does not offer protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Condoms are the only form of male birth control that prevents pregnancy and creates a protective barrier against various infections with sexual body entrance. Even so, the condom is not 100% safe for pregnancy or STD prevention. It has to be used correctly, consistently and carefully in order to do its purpose.