Men, you may be the ones responsible for birth control within the next few years, and it isn't in the form of a condom.
According to a press release from the Parsemus Foundation, a non-profit focusing on low-cost medical approaches, Vasagel is expected to be here as early as 2017.
In a recent experiment, the gel was injected into three male baboons. The baboons were given unrestricted sexual access to 10 to 15 female baboons each. After six months of sexual activity, none of the female baboons have been impregnated.
Due to the success of these early experiments, the gel is expected to start human trials in 2015. If all goes well for the human trials, we may be seeing Vasagel on the market as early as two years from now.
The gel works as a single treatment through an injected polymer that stops sperm from passing through the vas deferens, the same tube that is cut in a vasectomy procedure. The polymer acts as a shield and can be removed via a second injection if a male chooses to eventually release the sperm.
The technology was developed over 15 years ago by Sujoy Guha, a doctor in India. It originated as a technology called RISUG (Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance) and Vasagel is an updated iteration of this technology.
While the new formula will certainly be popular among the single male crowd, it isn't necessarily appealing for the pharmaceutical market, who tend to favor treatments that require more regular dosages in an attempt to make more money per dose similar to female birth control pills.
If the estimated release of Vasagel from the Parsemus foundation holds true, it will not only redefine a new sexual generation but also create a new religious and sociological conversation centered around a man's right to birth control, similar to what we've been seeing for women in the past few decades.
Considering that female birth control had a radical effect on society's view of casual sex, the concept of a male-only birth control leaves a lot of questions up in the air about how it will redefine modern day society.
Either way, it looks like the future of birth control consists of men taking just as much responsibility for preventing unexpected pregnancies as their partners. Considering the issues centered around overpopulation and lack of resources, this form of birth control is both a scientific and sociological breakthrough.
