The Immaculate Contraception
I’m looking for reversible male contraception that isn’t a condom. Are you aware of any that you consider reasonable for a young man in terms of cost, intrusiveness, danger and accessibility? Condoms reduce my pleasure and connection in sex. I want to be safe from unplanned conception without altering the health choices of a partner while still enjoying sex to the fullest and weigh how possible that is for me.
—Condom Alternatives
The short answer is no. Unfortunately, condoms remain the only option for reversible contraception for men.
There are options currently under development, such as Vasalgel by the Parsemus Foundation. Your question might be related to the fact that many media outlets have been reporting this week about advancements in the development of this method in the United States.
Vasalgel is a reversible alternative to vasectomy for men of any age. A vasectomy cuts the vas deferens, the tube that connects the testicles to the urethra and through which sperm passes before ejaculation.
Vasalgel is a hydrogel that is injected directly into the vas deferens, where it hardens and plugs the channel, preventing sperm from passing through. To restore fertility, all that’s needed is an additional injection that flushes the gel plug out of the vas deferens.
Vasalgel is currently being tested on monkeys, and clinical trials with humans will be the next step.
While this is interesting and exciting news for the future, in the present there are no other options for reversible male contraceptives apart from condoms.
While many people dislike condoms and feel they reduce pleasure and connection, there are a variety of brands, types and sizes of condoms that you could try to find one that works for you. Maybe a thinner or sensitive type of condom will do the trick.
Lube can also make a big difference: try adding a drop inside the condom before putting it on, and using it generously on the outside of the condom to make penetration smoother.
If you’ve already tried those options and are through with condoms, then your only other option for contraception is through the methods available to your partner.
If hormones are a concern for your partner’s health, there are hormone-free or low-hormone options for women, such as the copper intrauterine device, the Mirena IUD or low-dose hormonal contraceptives.
Unfortunately, these options leave you with little control over contraception; you may also not want to put the pressure on your partner to take on the responsibility of taking daily pills or having an IUD inserted.
Ultimately, contraception is a joint responsibility and one that you can actively take on together. It’s not your fault that there aren’t more options available to men, but despite this you can still make contraception a team effort.
You can look at all your options together and if the best option is one for your partner then you can still support her through that process.
While there are many options, birth control methods for women still involve a lot of trial and error, but this process can be easier when not approached alone.
I hope this information has helped even if it wasn’t the answer you were looking for. I wish there was a simple answer to the issue of accessible male birth control but it looks like we’ll have to wait a few more years for that to be a reality. On the bright side, it looks like we’re quickly approaching it!
For more info on the male contraception options being developed, you can check out malecontraceptives.org and newmalecontraception.org.
For more on Vasalgel, check out parsemusfoundation.org.
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