Women have been doing all the hard work for years in the form of the pills, coils and implants, but a new form of male contraceptive is set to hit the scene in 2018.
The rub-on contraceptive gel, which is set to be trialled next year, prevents unwanted pregnancies by blocking the production of sperm.
Weirdly, guys won’t be rubbing the gel onto their penis or balls. Instead men will have to massage the gel into their arms and and shoulders to let it absorb into the skin and reach the bloodstream.
Once it has absorbed two synthetic hormones, testosterone and progestin, block the testes from making enough testosterone to produce normal levels of sperm.
The gel can suppress sperm levels for around 72 hours – so men would have to use it everyday to ensure their sperm remains dormant.
Creators claim there shouldn’t be any dodgy side-effects because the gel balances out any hormone discrepancies.
However, don’t get all excited about condom-less sex, as the product still needs to undergo clinic trials.
The trail, which will include 400 couples, will start in April 2018 and last for four years.
Men will be asked to take home the gel and rub around half a teaspoon into their upper body every day, while women will continue to use another form of contraception as a fail-safe.
Researchers will then test the men’s sperm levels to see if the drop down to the required level to prevent pregnancy.
An initial six-month study found that 89% of the men’s sperm levels did drop to less than one million sperm per ml.
One of the main concerns about the product is that men will forget to use the gel daily. Also, it’s important to stress that the gel can’t protect you or your partner against STIs, so it’s still important to use condoms unless you have been tested and are trying for a baby.
Another gel contraceptive called Vasalgelis also in the process of being trialled. The product blocks sperm passing from the testicles to the penis after being injected into the vas deferens – the small duct between the testicles and the urethra that carries sperm.
The gel shot recently proved successful when trialled on primates, preventing 100% of pregnancies.
