The new male contraceptive - seriously!?!?

[SundialShadow]

Are they trying to set it up for failure?

FFS. They had one job - invent a male concraceptive that men will take and it will work.

Failed at the 2nd hurdle.

For those that don't know, the method of erm... use is an injection in the balls. A needle will have to pearse the sack. How can this not go well I wonder?

"Hello darling, please let me stick this needle in your twin plums there"
"Hold still like a good man"
"Oh do stop screaming"
"At least pull your trousers up before you bolt off down the road"

I guess we are on the pill / condom / cap / pretending to have our periods for another decade at least.

What the hell?? Could they not make it a pill or implant or 3 monthly injection?

I knew there was a male contraceptive injection but I didn't realise it gets injected into the balls Who is going to agree to that?

OneWith it's an injection every two years.

It's like a reversible vasectomy, so it has o go into the vas, to produce a blockage which can later be dissolved.

Who is going to agree to that? Well they couldn't deal with the side effects of a pill and this has very few side effects except for a needle in the nut sack so job's a good 'un then.

I don't see how it is any worse than having your cervix clamped open and a matchstick shoved in there.

They were suggesting a switch on the vas at one stage. Installing that sounded fun.

I don't see how it is any worse than having your cervix clamped open and a matchstick shoved in there.

Good point.

are you sure most men wouldn't have it? I think they would, there's a significant number already who happily go for vasectomies. It'll most likely involve some sort of numbing spray...

I just asked dp if he'd have it (making out it was actually already available) and he said yes.

Men don't have a lot of options to control their own fertility, granted most of the options available to women aren't pleasant, but we have a lot more. The options they develop are never going to be great given the biology of fertility for both sexes. I think hormonal treatments for men have proved difficult given they have to stop sperm production consistently rather than control one particular period of time during the month.

I also think the fact it lasts for 2 years is rubbish, like for me and dh we think we want another child (2 dc already) with ttc in 6months, maybe a years time but are unsure. I imagine a lot of couples would be the same maybe wanting another child but not knowing when or a couple just thinking about having a baby you can't just go for it if you need to wait 2 years for the injection to end. Once me and dh are sure we absouletly are done having child he will get a vasectomy.

I have had the injection since I had my youngest 6 months ago and the female injection lasts 3 months so why does the mans have to last 2 years?

I also think getting a man to agree to let someone put a needle in to his balls, will be hard work!

I can't believe that it's 2017 and still we have no male contraception available. I have a baby ds and it would be ideal if he could have a semi permanent contraception, yes I know there is condoms but mistakes do happen with them

i wish they'd hurry up and release it....my Dr said it'd been shelved due to too many complaints from the test subjects.

I think it sounds OK. It's only every two years. Comparable to having a coil fitted.

I will be encouraging my Ds to get it when they are old enough

Comparable to having a coil fitted.

Exactly, and women are always being told to go for the copper coil if hormonal contraception doesn't work out for them.

They were suggesting a switch on the vas at one stage. Installing that sounded fun.

That would give a WHOLE new meaning to the phase "are you feeling turned on"

I have no medical knowledge at all so forgive a stupid question but does anyone know why they can't take something hormonal? Like a male version of the pill?

compared to the 10% complication rate of a vasectomy, a needle in the boy bits doesn't seem that bad.

Presumably they'll be using local anaesthetic. Don't really get the issue.

It's no worse than anything women go through in the name of family planning.

I think the lasting two years is to long, it's an injection so unlike a coil it can not be taken out of the body early. So if you are looking to start a family in the near future but don't know when or unsure if/when to try for a new baby it is far from ideal. Is that really the best science can do?

injection In the balls won't put off all men and yes a lot of men do go for a vasectomy (dh is in 2 weeks) but if your 18/19 are you really going to get it? A man that's older/had his family Absouletly sure he doesn't want more dc if very different from a young boy

Yes yes to the coil comparison.
I'd take a needle to my nether regions over being clamped open and having something shoved up there and stuck in for 5 years. If I'm bloated, due to start my period or really need the loo I can feel it! But its the only reliable contraceptive I can have that doesn't turn me into a raging harpy for most of the month.

But saying that, can't say many bloled would opt for a bollock injection

Ohdear
Hormonal contraceptive for men is much more complex as they have to totally stop sperm production all the time whilst still allowing for arousal rather than stop one egg a month.

Ohdearducks

To simplify, women have an on/off reproductive cycle. Hormonal contraceptives temporarily extend how long your body remains at one point in the cycle where you are not fertile.

Men are always fertile. There is no natural point of infertility to exploit. Hormonal interventions can't make use of a natural cycle, so the brute force approaches they've experimented with were usually dangerously close to causing permanent sterility.

They have tested an earlier reversal in rabbits with ultrasound but haven't tested that in monkeys yet.
I'd be more worried about it going over the two years and not realising until you're pregnant - enough people forget MOTs and they send reminders out about that!

I'd have it, without question. But then again, I'm very pro condom and anti unnecessary meds. Condoms + this would be total peace of mind for me.

Then again, I've had a few pretty invasive surgeries so I'm not exactly squeamish.

My DH has already said he'd consider getting it if the trials are successful. We do use condoms but don't want any more children so I've had to use additional methods as well and I don't want to use hormonal treatments any more. The copper coil caused very heavy periods so in general the options out there aren't great for me.

Anyway long story short we both think it's time for him to do the necessary now after it being mostly down to me up to this. It's either vasectomy or something like this approach.

x post with Meph

That aside I know young men who never want kids and the Drs refused a vasectomy on grounds they might change their mind. So you can't just go to the docs and get a vasectomy. There is counseling and serious reflection involved in that decision.

It can be reversed (they think, more work needed on this) by flushing the vas, so it's not the case that it means you have to stay with it for the duration. Also, not sure if it's clear exactly when it wears off spontaneously - rather like a mirena lasting 5 years; it doesn't stop at that point it means that after 5 years it may cease being effective at any point.

Hormonal options have been trialled, but the side effects were considered unacceptable (you need quite a different level of dose to suppress daily continuous production, compared to what is requires to be taken over 3/4 weeks to suppress once a month ovulation.