A gel contraceptive, known as Vasalgel, in recent trials has been proven to be 100% effective in the long term in preventing unwanted pregnancy. The main aim behind the creation of this gel was to replace vasectomies.
The gel, in previous trials, had been used on rabbits and now on rhesus monkeys, causing scientists to believe there could be hope for a male contraceptive.
A distinctive property of this product is that it temporarily renders a man sterile (like a vasectomy) but is easily reversible.
According to lead author Dr. Catherine VendeVoort, the research has shown that when Vasalgel is placed into the vas deferens, it produces reliable contraception in mature male rhesus monkeys, proven by the lack of pregnancies in reproductively viable females with which the males were housed.
The method of Vasalgel placement is proven to be safe and produces fewer complications than what usually occurs in a vasectomy.
“To put the gel to the test, they took 16 adult monkeys and used Vasalgel on them. Then, they were transitioned back into their habitats for the breeding season. During the breeding season, none of them ended up conceiving. Typically, there were at least 80% pregnancy rates among them.
Of the monkeys, only one encountered a side effect, and that monkey had a hard build-up of sperm which was a result of the injection. This happens after vasectomies as well, in as many as 60% of males.”
Currently, there are only two options for male contraceptives and that is condoms and vasectomies. If this research is continued and moved to human trials, this could be a significant step forward. Despite the lack of a high number of options, there are various trials currently ongoing for different products. Unfortunately, there isn’t much urgency placed on getting these products on the market, which places a bigger burden on women.
Content created and supplied by: OPolitics (via Opera
News )