Male Birth Control: Easy, Effective, Available, and Totally Unheard Of
The male birth control shot is cheap, effective, and administered in a relatively painless 15 minute outpatient procedure and has been in existence for 25 years. It is currently going into small sample human trials and should be available in the United States in the next 3-5 years. It lasts for ten years and is easily reversible. The story of why it wasn’t available here sooner and how exactly it works medically are important to our health and our continued fight for reproductive rights and equality. Let’s get started.
Medically Speaking
The male birth control shot would involve a 15 minute procedure in which a gel is injected into the vas deferens after a topical anesthetic is applied. This gel renders sperm infertile as they pass from the testes (where sperm is stored and made) to the penis (the sperm dispenser) through the vas deferens. It is biologically safe material and can easily be dissolved if the patient decides they would like to become a dad. The lag time for fertility returning is 2 months or so, which is comparable to the lag time of fertility when women get off of birth control. There are no side effects except slight scrotal swelling at the site of injection. This is a step up from vasectomies that can cause painful pressure and granulomas. The shot would end up being cheaper than the syringe it would be administered with. It wouldn’t change how sex would work for the patient, and they could get it on a week after the procedure. (source)
Paging Dr. Misogyny
25 years?? 25 years of testing and we have not heard about it until now. 25 years of use in India, on humans, where it was said to be 100% effective and we have not jumped on board until now. I understand that the medical standards in India are not as stringent as the FDA’s standards, so we couldn’t just take their word for it, but come on, couldn’t we have at least gotten started on this a little bit sooner?
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