There will be a long-term, non-permanent male birth control by 2017

It’s about damn time. More than half a century after the FDA approved the female birth control pill, a form of male contraception is finally being tested. Up until this point the only viable options for male birth control were condoms, a vasectomy, or abstinence. Since most men are only abstinent up until their teen years and most vasectomies are performed on men who are either already married or are much older, that basically leaves condoms as the only birth control option for men in the age range between their late teens to their late 30s or 40s. And as much as I wish it weren’t true, most men prefer to not deal with the hassle of condoms when their female partners can obtain long-term, non-permanent contraception.

In other words, women have been given sole responsibility when it comes to birth control. That’s funny, because the last time I checked it takes both a man and a woman to make a child. Yet somehow, the logic has formed that since women carry the child and male forms of birth control are a hassle, women should just be in charge of making sure they don’t get pregnant. It’s just easier that way right? Yeah, it’s just easier for the men. This idea that women are responsible for birth control has become such the norm that the numerous bad side effects of hormone-based birth controls, both short- and long-term, are considered a lesser evil than men having to hassle over putting on a condom. Well, sorry boys — your free ride is over. Vasalgel is evening the playing fields.

Created by Parsemus Foundation, Vasalgel will allow men to have sex without a condom and not worry about getting his partner pregnant. Vasalgel works similarly to a vasectomy, except instead of cutting the vas deferens, the duct that carries sperm from the testes to the penis, the gel is simply injected into the duct and blocks sperm from passing through. After the gel is injected, it can last months, even years, but if the couple decides to have children again, all he must do is go back in for another injection to flush the gel out. Once the gel is flushed out, sperm flow will return to normal and he will regain fertility. Currently, it is only being tested on rabbits and baboons, but the research is more than promising, and human clinical trials will start soon.

Unfortunately, Vasalgel does not protect against STIs; condoms are still your best bet for that one, but this is still definitely a step in the right direction. The pros of Vasalgel outweigh the cons of female birth control by a long shot. Ladies, as most of us know, many of the forms of female birth control now available are expensive, cause adverse side effects due to the hormones, and are quite honestly just as much of a hassle as condoms, if not more so. Vasalgel could change all of this. It is hormone free, meaning there would be no adverse side effects or fertility issues down the road, like with many female contraceptives. It would not require consistent trips to the doctor or pharmacy for a refill; one quick trip to the doctor’s office and it will take care of the birth control for as long as necessary. Sounds like a dream come true to me.

I am worried, however, that this dream may be short-lived. Since Vasalgel is a relatively simple procedure and does not require constant refills like a lot of female birth control options, it would be fairly cost-effective. Which is great, except that means less money for distributors and pharmaceutical companies. Considering that throughout history, making money has been highly favored over women’s health, Vasalgel may be in trouble. But I’m not counting it out yet, because I know of some people — about 50% of the population — who may just be willing to fight for it.

Header image credit: Nate Grigg/Flickr