Male Birth Control Gel Progressing through Clinical Trials

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A new form of externally applied birth control for men continues to do well in clinical trials, thus challenging the traditional notion that reproductive health is a “women’s issue”—when, in reality, access to birth control benefits men as well as women, as Amy Quinton reported for the UC Davis Health newsletter.

The NES/T gel, applied once daily on the user’s shoulder, was developed by the Population Council and the National Institutes of Health and began clinical trials in 2018. It suppresses sperm production while raising testosterone levels.

The couples that have participated in the latest UC Davis trial have had success, and both the men and women have found the experience to be positive. Matthew Travino, who participated in the trial with his partner Emily Fletcher, says he had noticed only a little weight gain and one other notable side effect: increased libido. 

Trevino’s sperm count dropped so low, it was considered zero—making the gel far more effective than notoriously fragile condoms. And unlike vasectomies, NES/T gel has been deemed reversible; once the user stops applying it, the sperm count climbs to normal in three months.

This is great news for straight women who experience extreme symptoms from hormonal birth control, such as bleeding between periods, nausea, mood swings, and migraines. Fletcher was one of them; she had been on birth control since she was 12.

Why is it not on the market yet? According to UC Davis, the process of approval for male birth control may take a long time. “Unlike females who produce an egg a month, men are producing millions of sperm every day. Sperm counts must be low enough to reliably prevent pregnancy.”

In the meantime, surely every politician denouncing abortion should be asked their position on all forms of birth control—including this new, promising, non-invasive form that puts the responsibility on the man.

The topic has received limited, most skeptical attention in the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Source: “Male Hormonal Birth Control? It May be Closer than You Think,” UC Davis Health, February 26, 2024.

Student Researcher: Jen Davis (Frostburg State University)

Faculty Evaluator: Andy Duncan (Frostburg State University)

425

A new form of externally applied birth control for men continues to do well in clinical trials, thus challenging the traditional notion that reproductive health is a “women’s issue”—when, in reality, access to birth control benefits men as well as women, as Amy Quinton reported for the UC Davis Health newsletter.

The NES/T gel, applied once daily on the user’s shoulder, was developed by the Population Council and the National Institutes of Health and began clinical trials in 2018. It suppresses sperm production while raising testosterone levels.

The couples that have participated in the latest UC Davis trial have had success, and both the men and women have found the experience to be positive. Matthew Travino, who participated in the trial with his partner Emily Fletcher, says he had noticed only a little weight gain and one other notable side effect: increased libido. 

Trevino’s sperm count dropped so low, it was considered zero—making the gel far more effective than notoriously fragile condoms. And unlike vasectomies, NES/T gel has been deemed reversible; once the user stops applying it, the sperm count climbs to normal in three months.

This is great news for straight women who experience extreme symptoms from hormonal birth control, such as bleeding between periods, nausea, mood swings, and migraines. Fletcher was one of them; she had been on birth control since she was 12.

Why is it not on the market yet? According to UC Davis, the process of approval for male birth control may take a long time. “Unlike females who produce an egg a month, men are producing millions of sperm every day. Sperm counts must be low enough to reliably prevent pregnancy.”

In the meantime, surely every politician denouncing abortion should be asked their position on all forms of birth control—including this new, promising, non-invasive form that puts the responsibility on the man.

The topic has received limited, most skeptical attention in the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Source: “Male Hormonal Birth Control? It May be Closer than You Think,” UC Davis Health, February 26, 2024.

Student Researcher: Jen Davis (Frostburg State University)

Faculty Evaluator: Andy Duncan (Frostburg State University)