Finally! A Male Birth Control Pill and Relief for Women

Is birth control ONLY a woman’s burden? Will men use the new birth control pill that needs a little prick downstairs?

Men currently only have condoms - but would they take long-term birth control measures if there was an option? (Photo: iStock)

Hey men, scared of getting someone pregnant but love the way unprotected sex feels? Have I just described all men? Probably. It might take two to tango, (or more if that’s your flavour) but the burden of birth control has always been on women. Since Biblical times, besides condoms and vasectomy there has not been a single birth control option for men.

But now, celebrate! There might finally be a way to kill your swimmers without a trimmer. Excited? Read on.

If all goes well, condom-free safe sex might be here by 2016 (won’t protect against diseases though) (Photo: Altered by The Quint)

The Male Pill: Brainchild of an Indian Scientist

It has been termed as the “Best Birth Control In the World For Men” (Photo: iStock)

The revolutionary new pill is called RISUG (in India) and Vasalgel (brand name used in the US), and is the brainchild of Indian scientist Dr Sujoy Guha. Dr Guha has been working on this since 15 years.

It’s nothing like you’ve ever seen before. It’s actually not even a pill. It’s a non-hormonal gel. So you go to a doctor’s office, take a 15-minute appointment and boom, no babies for 10 years.

Awesome right?

Just that there is a little pricking down there. But not much!

Here’s the process: Under local anaesthesia, the doctor will make some pinholes in the base of the scrotum (aka balls), take some forceps, (I’m sure the men reading are actually clamping their legs!) to pull out the vas deferens tube and inject the drug vasalgel. After this, the doctor will push the vein back in, band-aid the hole, and you’re good!

So far the drug has been tried on rabbits and baboons with a 100% efficacy rate. Human clinical trials have already been successfully carried out in India, and those in the US will begin by the end of this year.

How Does it Work?

Every year, millions of men around the globe get vasectomies. That is both more invasive, painful and unlike Vasalgel, intended to be permanent. (Photo: iStock)

Vasalgel is made up of two chemicals that mix together into a polymer and thicken once injected. But it doesn’t work like m-seal, directly blocking your system.

The drug actually lines the vas deferens and lets the sperm flow through it. The cool part: it tears the tail of the sperms apart with a poly-electric effect, so even though you will ejaculate, your sperm cannot make babies. That’s like a mad scientist working in your junk!

The drug is projected to be effective for 10 years but if you decide to have a baby before that period, all it takes is an injection of water and baking soda to wash it out.

Why Has the Drug Still Not Been Approved?

The drug has been made by an Indian scientist without the aid of Big Pharma. Is that what’s holding the drug from hitting the market? (Photo altered by The Quint)

This drug is revolutionary. It has a near 100% efficacy rate in animals, and had similar results in human trials in India, So why aren’t men already getting polymer injections?

For starters, there are rare side-effects of scrotal swelling, and also concerns if men will regain full fertility after a decade.

More importantly, there are some worrisome red flags here: lone Indian genius, battling the establishment, and the claim that it is 100% effective. Some experts see conspiracy at play here because Big Pharma has been (unsuccessfully) working on its own version of the drug with massive funding and lobbying since years.

It looks a little fishy because all female birth control measures come with potential risks. Pills can cause high blood pressure, nausea, blood clotting. IUDs can cause physical tears in the uterus but all this stuff is out there in full force.

So if Vasalgel hits the market, will all you men out there get it in a heartbeat? Even if it means a little prick in your downstairs? And ladies, what do you think - is it time men shared more responsibility in the world of birth control?

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