Good news, gals: there’s a new birth control on the market. But this time, it won’t mess up our bodies or wreck our moods. Why? Because we won’t be the ones responsible for taking it.
That’s right: the first hormone-free male birth control pill has passed a safety trial. There might soon be the option for men to take birth control measures into their own hands.
Currently, the only two birth control methods for men include condoms and vasectomies. We already know the resistance toward both of those…
Women, of course, have countless birth control options, from hormonal birth control pills to painful IUDs, and are often expected to be the ones who shoulder the burden. Many of these come with awful side effects, from risks of blood clots to hormonal disruptions that affect physical and mental health.
Thankfully, things are changing.
There’s a New Male Birth Control on the Market
According to the University of Minnesota, “The new drug, called YCT-529, is a first-in-class, hormone-free and orally administered male contraceptive. Developed in collaboration with Columbia University in New York and YourChoice Therapeutics, YCT-529 works as a contraceptive by stopping the production of sperm.”
The best part? It has no detected side effects.
Not to mention, the results were overwhelmingly positive across the board. Researchers found that the drug caused infertility in male mice, being 99% effective in preventing pregnancies within four weeks of use. It also lowered sperm counts within two weeks in non-human male primates. Of course, these effects were temporary, meaning both groups regained fertility after stopping the drug, the University of Minnesota reported.
So…What Does This Mean for Couples Seeking Birth Control Options?
Basically, men will now have the chance to use birth control, which is great news for women who have problems tolerating it. It’s also great for men who prefer not to use protection and don’t want to jump to having surgery.
“A safe and effective male pill will provide more options to couples for birth control,” said Gunda Georg, the corresponding author of the study and a professor in the College of Pharmacy, per The University of Minnesota. “It will allow a more equitable sharing of responsibility for family planning and provide reproductive autonomy for men.”
YourChoice Therapeutics has already completed a phase 1 clinical trial of this drug in 2024, and it is currently being tested in a second clinical trial for safety and efficacy, according to the University of Minnesota.
“This study laid the groundwork for human clinical trials of YCT-529, which are progressing efficiently,” said Nadja Mannowetz, lead author, chief science officer, and co-founder of YourChoice Therapeutics, per the University of Minnesota. “With the unintentional pregnancy rate at nearly 50% in the U.S. and globally, we need more contraceptive options, particularly for men.”
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