Is Male Birth Control Finally Coming?
The summer of 2021 was supposed to be a joyful season of life for Mattie Quinlan: She had just gotten married and was settling down with her husband, Ryan, in Provo, Utah. The young couple, who had met during their mission trips with the Mormon church, wanted a big family—just not right away, which is […]
In the summer of 2021, Mattie Quinlan, a young woman newly married to Ryan in Provo, Utah, was on birth control. However, she stopped taking it as she was feeling depressed and not herself. Ryan, on the other hand, was researching birth control options for men when he stumbled upon an Instagram advertisement for a clinical trial of a new male contraceptive gel called NES/T.
Intrigued, Ryan and Mattie decided to participate in the study, which involved applying the gel to his body and regular check-ups to monitor his sperm count, vitals, and mood. The gel helped Ryan decrease his sperm count while maintaining his testosterone levels. After several months, the couple stopped using condoms, and Ryan's sperm count dropped low enough for them to conceive.
Within a month of discontinuing the gel, Mattie became pregnant. This new male contraceptive option, which has been in development for decades, may finally be coming to fruition, offering men a non-hormonal and reversible alternative to condoms and vasectomies.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
