New male contraceptive is a ‘game changer’ – expert
This will drastically change the field of contraception
A new method of male contraception that is as effective as a vasectomy but will be entirely reversible and has little or no side-effects, is expected to become available within the next two years.
“If successful, this will drastically change the field of contraception,” said Stellenbosch University (SU) urologist, Dr Amir Zarrabi, of a new male contraceptive that is currently showing promising results in human trials.
“It will give couples a lot of flexibility. They will have a safe and reliable form of contraception – with no hormonal effects or other side effects – that can be reversed when they want to start a family,” he said ahead of the Western Cape Sterilisation Week marked from July 23 to 27.
The new contraceptive, Vasalgel, which is currently being tested by the American Parsemus Foundation, is a type of “no-scalpel vasectomy”. Like a vasectomy, it also blocks the flow of sperm from the testicles to the penis, but instead of severing the tube that carries sperm (called the vas deferens), a gel is injected into the tube forming a barrier that blocks sperm but allows other fluids to pass through.
“Vasalgel does not require any surgery. Although a vasectomy is a small procedure, it does carry some risks, like bleeding or infection, and there is also a small chance that a man might experience post-vasectomy pain due to pressure build-up in the testicles. Vasalgel does not carry any of these risks,” explained Zarrabi, a specialist in male fertility and microsurgery.
Another major advantage of Vasalgel is that it is reversible and can be used as a short- or long-term form of contraception. When a couple wants to conceive, the Vasalgel can be flushed from the vas deferens with an injection of a sodium bicarbonate solution.
Although Vasalgel is already being tested in humans, reversal has only been attempted in animal studies where it showed rapid restoration of sperm flow.
Zarrabi warns that although Vasalgel blocks the flow of sperm, it does not offer any protection against the transmission of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV.
