By Shira Sadeh ’25
Staff Writer
A newly-developed contraceptive targeted toward cisgender men has a 99 percent success rate in preventing pregnancy in mice, according to an article published by The New York Times on March 25, 2022. A report published by HealthDay found that past studies of cis male contraceptives have focused on targeting testosterone levels, whereas the current contraceptive in development works to reduce the functioning of a protein called retinoic acid receptor alpha, which affects sperm formation, embryonic development and cell growth. Researchers explained that this change in direction was due to the adverse side effects that often occur as a result of hormonal-based medication, such as weight gain, depression and high levels of cholesterol. Researchers also noted that the mice regained the ability to reproduce four to six weeks after halting regular pill consumption.
A newly-developed contraceptive targeted toward cisgender men has a 99 percent success rate in preventing pregnancy in mice
According to Nature Magazine, the search for a contraceptive for cis men has been active for decades. “In the 1980s and 1990s, the World Health Organization oversaw testosterone-based trials. In 1996, WHO researchers succeeded in significantly reducing sperm counts in 98 percent of the 399 men injected with testosterone,” Nature reported. 70 percent of the men in the study had zero sperm counts and accounted for zero pregnancies, while the remaining group with reduced sperm counts accounted for four pregnancies. However, this method was used solely as “proof of concept” after side effects such as mood changes, weight gain and increased cholesterol levels were reported, according to Nature Magazine. Dr. Christina Wang, a former consultant for the WHO, stated that these reports of side effects were inconsistent in these early studies and that this was likely due to changes in leadership within the facility from which the reports originated. Out of concern for the trial subjects, the trial was terminated soon after these reports were released. These side effects are similar to currently-reported side effects in cis women as a result of using various widely-available hormonal contraceptive methods.
According to the CDC, there are currently two medically-accepted birth control options for cis men: condoms and vasectomies. The CDC reported that condoms can not only serve as a form of birth control, but have the added benefit of preventing the transmission of sexually transmitted infections or diseases. Like birth control, however, condoms are not always effective. There is an average failure rate of 13 percent, and they are much more likely to tear when used with oil-based lubricants such as baby oil, massage oils or lotions. The CDC stated that vasectomies are less likely to fail. Vasectomies take approximately 12 weeks to fully come into effect, after which the failure rate is at approximately 0.15 percent.
The Guttmacher Institute reported in a fact sheet document that in 2011, there were 45 unwanted pregnancies for every 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44. This means that nearly 5 percent of reproductive-aged women in the study experienced an unwanted pregnancy every year. Currently, the page lists the conditions conducive to an unwanted pregnancy based on the pregnant person’s demographics and living conditions, and the preventative measures are based on their options for family planning. This parallels the CDC list of approved birth control methods, where cis women use 17 out of the 19 methods listed.
In another Guttmacher Institute fact sheet released in 2021, it was reported that 65 percent of women in the United States aged 15-49 used some form of contraception in 2018. The two most common methods used were permanent contraception at 28 percent and birth control pills at 21 percent. According to Planned Parenthood, there are two types of birth control pills: combination pills and progestin-only pills. Combination pills combine the hormones progestin and estrogen, while progestin-only pills only contain progestin. While progestin-only pills must be taken at the same time every day to protect the user from pregnancy, combination pills offer more flexibility regarding timing.
Because these are both hormonal contraceptives, Planned Parenthood warns that these pills can cause some side effects, especially for new users. Some of the side effects are headaches, nausea, sore breasts, changes in period cycles and spotting in between periods. Complications are extremely rare but can include heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and liver tumors. These more serious complications are not associated with progestin-only pills.
Contrasting contraceptives such as hormonal birth control pills and IUDS, the contraceptive pill for cis men was specifically created on a non-hormonal basis to avoid negative side effects.
M.D. Abdullah Al Noman, who presented the findings to the American Chemical Society said, “We wanted to develop a non-hormonal male contraceptive to avoid these side effects.” The fact that hormonal pills targeted at cis women often produce these negative side effects can be explained by researchers as less concerning due to cis women’s more predictable cycles. This is often seen as a double standard, however, as stated in a New York Times article by Dr. Bobby Najari, the director of the Male Infertility Program at New York University Langone Health.