There's been talk of a 'male Pill' being just around the corner for years, but this week, scientists have made a major breakthrough in testing a new contraception product for men.
A male contraceptive known as Vasalgel, which blocks sperm with gel, has been found to work reliably in a trial in primates, The Guardian reports.
The Parsemus Foundation, the company that funded the research, has said that after a two-year trial, the gel was 100% effective at preventing conception (at least in monkeys) and it hopes to begin tests in within the next few years.
According to the study's lead author, the promising results of this trial could make Vasalgel an "appealing" alternative to a vasectomy. "Men's options for contraception have not changed much in decades," Catherine VandeVoort, of the California National Primate Research Centre said. "There's vasectomy, which is poorly reversible, and condoms. If they knew they could get a reliable contraceptive that could also be reversed I think it would be appealing to them."
VandeVoort added that although the product has only been tested on primates, the outcome should be an encouraging sign for humans.
"One of the great things about the monkey model is that the male reproductive tract is very similar to humans and they have even more sperm than humans do," she said. "Chances are, it's going to be effective in humans."
The contraception has been likened to the IUD (the coil) in women, as a blob of the gel has to be injected into the sperm-carrying tube, which then acts as a long-lasting barrier.
While a number of different forms, including a male contraceptive tablet, have been explored in recent years, the gel is said to be one of the more attractive options, as it doesn't interfere with sperm production or hormone levels.
