(NewsNation) — A non-hormonal male birth control is entering human trials in Britain. It would be the first male birth control pill on the market.
For years, the burden of birth control has fallen primarily on women. Many women have spoken out about having to deal with side effects from hormonal birth control or painful procedures like IUD insertion.
If human trials succeed, the pill would allow men to have more control over preventing pregnancies and give men more options for birth control.
How does the male birth control pill work?
The pill, called YCT-529, blocks a receptor for vitamin A, which is needed to produce sperm. Previous research has shown that men with vitamin A deficiencies suffer from infertility.
Is it reversible?
Researchers expect the pill to be 100% reversible.
Are there side effects of the male birth control pill?
Dr. Gunda Georg, one of the researchers who worked on the pill, told NewsNation animal trials have shown little to no side effects, though human trials will provide more information on potential side effects.
What are issues with hormonal birth control?
Women have long complained of the many side effects of hormonal birth control pills, which include mental and physical side effects as well as an increased risk of dangerous complications like blood clots.
When hormonal birth control was tested on men, it was rejected because men were experiencing similar side effects. While women have been willing to put up with side effects to avoid going through an unwanted pregnancy, scientists feared men would be less willing because they do not have to experience consequences from unplanned pregnancies.
How is it different from birth control for women?
Birth control options for women include hormonal birth control, which comes with serious side effects, or non-hormonal options like copper IUDs, which need to be inserted by a doctor. Other non-hormonal options like diaphragms and cervical caps are not as effective as the pill or IUDs.
The pill in development does not act on hormones and in animal studies did not appear to cause side effects.
The pill became legal in America in 1960. While male birth control has been researched since the 1970s, the only available options have been condoms, which have a higher failure rate than the pill and are not always used correctly, and vasectomies, which require a surgical procedure and are not always reversible.
How long will it be until the pill is available?
The timeline for trials isn’t clear yet, but researchers are seeking volunteers to participate.