I recently read an article discussing a new male birth control method called Vasalgel. Vasalgel has been going through trials over the past couple years, and is nearing its way to human testing.This article discusses the recent success of trials in rhesus monkeys for a male birth control option. It is called Vasalgel, and works by injecting a gel into the vas deferens, the tubes which carry sperm from the testicles to the penis, in order to prevent sperm cells from passing through. This gel halts sperm, while seminal fluid can still pass through, allowing ejaculation to happen, without the chance of impregnation. Vasalgel already proved viable in a test on rabbits in an earlier test. With the test on rhesus monkeys, sixteen monkeys were injected with vasalgel, and kept in a community with female monkeys. At the end of the experiment, there were no pregnancies.
Vasalgel was created by the Parsemus Foundation, and executive director Elaine Lissner was happy to see that there were no adverse effects amongst the animals, and is pushing for trials in humans. There were small complications, but they were comparative to the same complications found in vasectomies. One of the reasons for the big pushes behind Vasalgel is the fact that it does not affect hormones in anyway, and is much easier to reverse compared to a vasectomy. Reversal is performed by flushing the vas deferens with an injection of sodium bicarbonate, which dissolves the gel, and allows normal flow of sperm cells again.
The major worries about vasalgel is the fact it is just as invasive as a vasectomy, so a man receiving the inject will still need to be put under for surgery. Before it can really be seen as a major option for birth control, experts want to see more evidence of its reversibility. Other forms of male birth control have been tested to be successful, but were cancelled because of hormonal changes that were caused in the men that were tested.
I’ve always wanted there to be more options for men in the form of birth control. The only publicized form is condoms, but there needs to be more for men. Instead we have always put the pressure of birth control on women. We charge them so much for what should be a basic human right, and then we ignore the fact that it can cause major harm to a woman and her body. The fact that we have rejected birth control options that cause hormonal changes in men, but haven’t really made any changes in the birth control that causes the same kind of hormonal changes in women is an embarrassment. To be honest, I see it as a form of sexism, both in our culture and in the medical field. It’s the idea that we are fine with women having to deal with more problems than men, because that’s just the way we see the world.
I’m hoping that Vasalgel ends up becoming a more viable option in the future, and with it, open up chances for further research to be done of birth control for women. All we can do right now is fight for further scientific research and equality in the meantime.
