Is there a male birth control pill?

If you're sexually active, chances are, you've spent a decent amount of time considering your reproductive health and birth control options.

For women, there are all kinds of options. There's the birth control pill, implants, injections, vaginal rings, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and more [1]. If any of them fail, there are also emergency contraception options.

But in 2024, what does the landscape for male contraception look like?

The female birth control pill has been around since 1950 and available in Australia since 1961, but is there a male birth control pill yet [2][6]? And if not, why not? What's going on there?

Preventing pregnancy is a key issue for anyone who's sexually active and not ready to raise children yet, and famously, it takes two to tango when it comes to pregnancy. So why does it seem like all the responsibility to prevent pregnancy so often falls on women?

In this article, we'll break down everything we know about the male birth control pill and the available male contraception options that are currently on the market.

Is there a birth control pill for men?

While there have been a few male birth control pills that have passed safety tests in humans, there aren't any currently available on the market [3].

In 2022, researchers announced the successful development of a non-hormonal male birth control pill [4].

The pill was designed to target a protein called retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-α), which is crucial for sperm formation, and studies showed that knocking out RAR-α in male mice made them sterile, and without side effects.

During clinical studies, this oral pill was found to reduce sperm production in male mice by 99%, without any notable unwanted side effects.

Even better, the results were reversible — 4-6 weeks after they stopped giving the mice the compound, they were able to produce sperm and conceive once again.

In December 2023, Forbes reported that this version of the male birth control pill was expected to complete clinical trials in June 2024 [5].

Is the male pill available in Australia?

Currently, there is no male birth control pill on the market in Australia, or anywhere else, for that matter.

It's not for lack of trying, necessarily — every few years there are new reports of new male contraception options that are just around the corner. But they never seem to eventuate into anything.

In fact, it's not just the male birth control pill that isn't available in Australia — there's a significant lack of effective male contraceptive options beyond condoms or a vasectomy.

For example, there have been trials of a contraceptive injection for men, which would stop sperm production temporarily [8][10].

When it comes to long-acting reversible contraceptives for men, the male contraceptive injection would offer an effective alternative to vasectomy, which comes with the risk of not always being reversible [9].

However, there are currently no plans to introduce the injection to the Australian market [8].

Way back in 2002, one survey of Australian men's attitudes to male birth control found that 75.4% of respondents would be interested in trying a male birth control pill if one was available [7].

It seems the demand is there, but if that's the case, what's the hold-up when it comes to male contraceptives [11]? Will men and women ever fully share responsibility when it comes to pregnancy, or is it just always going to be on the woman to prevent pregnancies? Let's look at the challenges.

What are the challenges with male hormonal contraception?

Unfortunately, several challenges are preventing the development of new contraceptives for men [6].

First and foremost is the issue of finding the right hormonal balance: a male birth control pill needs to suppress sperm production without negatively impacting sexual drive, contributing to weight gain, or resulting in acne or mood swings [11].

If you've ever had a bad experience with birth control and are rolling your eyes or saying "join the club", we feel you.

Unfortunately, there are many people who believe that men generally won't adhere to a male birth control pill or any kind of contraceptive if it has negative side effects.

Given that the male pill would require continuous treatment, some people don't see a world in which men would be willing to share responsibility when it comes to preventing pregnancy if it also means dealing with side effects.

User compliance issues, like forgetfulness and inconvenience, are also considered a challenge when it comes to male birth control in general, as the contraceptive efficacy of the male pill would require men to take it every day.

However, there are also some more practical challenges when it comes to the male pill or any other male contraception options, and sperm production is at the top of that list.

Men generally produce millions of sperm per day, so reducing sperm counts is inherently more difficult than preventing ovulation in women [13].

Another challenge for the male oral contraceptive is making sure it's reversible.

Once a man is ready for children, the male contraceptive needs to be able to wear off and restore sperm function, so that he can regain fertility.

The male birth control pill would also need to pass clinical trials to ensure its safety and efficacy when it comes to preventing pregnancy.

In itself, this is a challenge, because you can't perform a clinical trial with a placebo when it comes to human sperm [12].

Researchers would also need to understand the potential long-term impacts of any new male hormonal contraception options on the person's health. As with any hormonal contraceptive, this would mean looking at cardiovascular health, bone density, and potential issues for prostate health.

Finally, any male contraceptive initiative would face an uphill battle in regard to acceptance and cultural norms [6].

Any new male contraception would need to be marketed in a way that also shifts the current cultural attitudes towards contraception and shared responsibility around pregnancy prevention [12].

What other birth control options do men have?

Currently, the options for male contraception are fairly limited. There are condoms, of course, which are a great option, as they not only prevent pregnancies but also protect you from sexually transmitted infections.

They're also widely available, relatively inexpensive, and can be used on demand, rather than needing the man to take a pill every day in order to prevent pregnancy.

When it comes to contraceptive efficacy, condoms aren't perfect, but when used correctly, they do reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections greatly [14].

When it comes to long-acting reversible contraceptives, vasectomy is the main option for men [15].

A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that involves cutting or blocking the vas deferens, which are the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles. A vasectomy is most commonly used as a permanent form of birth control, rather than a long-acting reversible form of male contraceptive, but it can sometimes be reversed through a more complex procedure.

Beyond condoms and vasectomy, modern contraceptive methods remain lacking.

Many men rely on the withdrawal method, which involves withdrawing the penis from the vagina before ejaculation to prevent sperm from entering the woman's body.

However, it is not an effective contraceptive, and there's risk involved, as it relies on perfect timing and self-control.

While we wait for science to catch up and give us the male birth control pill, preventing unwanted pregnancy remains a priority for any woman who's not ready to enter her family planning era just yet or simply knows she doesn't want children.

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