Coming soon to a penis near you — the ‘world’s first’ male contraceptive implant

When it comes to contraception, the burden has largely fallen on women to take responsibility – whether that be by taking the pill, getting the implant or having an IUD inserted. 

All of which, of course, come with a whole host of really, really fun potential side effects like nausea, weight gain, acne, mood swings and changes to periods. 

Working out which form of contraception to use can be tricky, but this conversation is set to get a lot more interesting…

That’s because the ‘world’s first’ contraceptive implant for men could be coming soon to a penis near you – but you’ve to be pretty, erm, ballsy to try it as it involves an injection into the scrotum.

Previously, men have only really had two options in this department: condoms or a vasectomy. But this new product would be a game-changer if it gets the green light.

Developed by a US-based biotech company called Contraline, the product is known as ADAM, a non-hormonal water-soluble hydrogel, that’s been described as a reversible contraceptive alternative. 

How does the male implant work?

The gel is injected underneath the scrotum (the sac of skin that contains the testes) into a man’s sperm duct. The procedure has been described as ‘minimally invasive’ and is thought to take around 10 minutes to complete, using local anaesthetic. 

The implant blocks sperm from travelling through the vas deferens – which takes sperm from the duct to the urethra – and stops it from mixing with semen, without impacting sensation or ejaculation.

The results of the first round of clinical trials have recently been released and according to Contraline the gel successfully blocked sperm’s release for up to 24 months. 

After this time, at the end of its lifespan, the gel breaks down and liquifies so that normal fertility can return.

Are there risks involved with using the male implant?

The first round of testing for the implant saw 25 participants given the implant, but all at different points in time. So far only two of the men have reached the 24 month mark and for both no sperm was detected in their semen.

At present, no serious adverse events have been recorded for any of the participants, but further clinical trials are needed to prove its safety and effectiveness in preventing pregnancy. 

As research continues on ADAM, Dr Alexander Pastuszak, Contraline’s chief medical officer said: ‘Our goal was to create a male contraceptive option lasting two years, responding directly to consumer needs.

‘These findings confirm that ADAM, our novel water-soluble hydrogel, can achieve the intended lifespan. We remain optimistic about its safety, efficacy, and reversibility, and its potential to give men and couples greater reproductive control.’

Would men use a male contraceptive like this?

Research from YouGov previously found that one in three sexually active men would consider taking a male contraceptive – around the same percentage of women on the pill in the UK.

At the time of the research, several men told Metro they would be on board with giving male contraception a go, including Thomas Ling, a science writer.

He said: ‘Absolutely I’d take it. Why not? It’s merely shouldering responsibility. You’d have to be a jerk not to do it. 

‘It would be a really great thing for women – it would mean they’d have more of a choice, rather than simply being expected to take a hormonal contraceptive potentially long term.

‘The biggest impact will be how men see women – they’ll have a bit more understanding of what women have been forced to deal with for decades.’

Thomas added: ‘I definitely consider myself a feminist, but when first hearing about the side effects such as acne and mood swings, there was a small voice in my head saying “yeah, I really don’t want those. Why should I have to change my body?”. This was obviously then followed a second later with the thumping realisation that’s how women have been forced into feeling for decades.’