New Approaches to Male Contraception

Abstract

Volume 6 • Issue 4 • 1000e114 Gynecol Obstet (Sunnyvale) ISSN: 2161-0932 Gynecology, an open access journal The world population, currently estimated to be over seven billion, is expected to double in less than four decades. A recent survey shows that the majority of today's young men in many countries are willing to take full control of their fertility [1]. However, the contraceptive options available to them that primarily involve male physiology have not changed in the past century. Ever since the approval of the birth control pill for women in the 1960s, scientists have been hoping for a male equivalent. It has however been a difficult road, in part, because of the science of the male reproductive system [2]. It is relatively easier to control a monthly event of ovulation in women than to regulate the production of millions of fertile spermatozoa every single day in post-pubertal men. Thus, the contraceptive options available to men are still limited to the traditional approaches of abstinence and timely withdrawal (coitus interruptus), the barrier method of the use of condoms [3,4] or the surgical method of vas occlusion or vasectomy [5,6]. If not defective and used correctly, condoms can protect from unwanted pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases [3,4]. However, condoms and the two traditional approaches mentioned above, have relatively high typical use failure rates, whereas vasectomy is largely irreversible [5,6] and not suitable for younger men. Thus, providing a safe, effective, reversible and affordable contraceptive for men has remained an elusive goal. In this editorial, I will briefly describe new hormonal and non-hormonal approaches that are at various stages of research and development and may one day be used to regulate male fertility. I will describe a male oral pill that is currently available to men in Indonesia. My intention is also to describe three intra-vas approaches that will soon be available to men in multiple countries to regulate their fertility. The intra-vas approaches will be effective, affordable and reversible. Finally, I will mention, "sperm-switch", the latest invention designed to allow men to turn the switch on/off and decide when to ejaculate spermatozoa during coitus. When the question of new contraceptives for men is discussed, many wonder how many men will use them. Accumulated data suggest that approximately 33% of men use currently available contraceptives [7] which are not very effective. Thus, it is reasonable to argue that the availability of safe, effective, reversible and user friendly male contraceptives will encourage many more men to use them, and take full control of their fertility.