A male contraceptive pill could reach the market within five years, says WHO
The WHO sees a male contraceptive as necessary to share responsibility for pregnancies. TVE reports a pill for men could be on the market in five years.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The WHO argues that men should have access to a contraceptive pill as a step towards sharing responsibility for pregnancies. TVE reports the product could reach the market within five years.
## A pill to share the burden
The World Health Organization considers it a necessary step for men to be able to use a contraceptive pill. The reason the body gives is to share responsibility for pregnancies, which today falls almost entirely on women. Public broadcaster **TVE** reported on this stance and placed the product on the market within **five years**.
Today the male contraceptive repertoire is limited to condoms and vasectomy. Neither option is voluntarily reversible, nor comparable in variety to the female offer, which includes the pill, the implant, the IUD or the vaginal ring. That is the asymmetry the WHO wants to correct.
## What is missing before it reaches the pharmacy
A lab having a promising compound is not the same as having an approved product. First come clinical trials with thousands of participants, safety reviews and the green light from regulatory agencies. The usual timelines for these procedures are counted in years, not months.
The figure of **five years** is a forecast, not a firm date. No brand, price or launch country has been announced yet. Nor is it clear what effect it would have on demand: male contraception carries decades of trials abandoned over side effects or lack of funding.
## The question left hanging
The obvious doubt is how many men would use it. There are no public surveys that allow an answer with data, and those that exist in other countries show stated intention, which does not always translate into actual use. Experience with methods such as the male hormonal implant suggests acceptance depends on price, convenience and whether the partner considers it reliable.
The underlying debate is not only medical. If the method arrives, it changes who bears the cost, who suffers the side effects and who decides. That is why the WHO presents it as a matter of sharing, not as a mere pharmaceutical novelty.
Any decision about contraception should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
## A pill to share the burden
The World Health Organization considers it a necessary step for men to be able to use a contraceptive pill. The reason the body gives is to share responsibility for pregnancies, which today falls almost entirely on women. Public broadcaster **TVE** reported on this stance and placed the product on the market within **five years**.
Today the male contraceptive repertoire is limited to condoms and vasectomy. Neither option is voluntarily reversible, nor comparable in variety to the female offer, which includes the pill, the implant, the IUD or the vaginal ring. That is the asymmetry the WHO wants to correct.
## What is missing before it reaches the pharmacy
A lab having a promising compound is not the same as having an approved product. First come clinical trials with thousands of participants, safety reviews and the green light from regulatory agencies. The usual timelines for these procedures are counted in years, not months.
The figure of **five years** is a forecast, not a firm date. No brand, price or launch country has been announced yet. Nor is it clear what effect it would have on demand: male contraception carries decades of trials abandoned over side effects or lack of funding.
## The question left hanging
The obvious doubt is how many men would use it. There are no public surveys that allow an answer with data, and those that exist in other countries show stated intention, which does not always translate into actual use. Experience with methods such as the male hormonal implant suggests acceptance depends on price, convenience and whether the partner considers it reliable.
The underlying debate is not only medical. If the method arrives, it changes who bears the cost, who suffers the side effects and who decides. That is why the WHO presents it as a matter of sharing, not as a mere pharmaceutical novelty.
Any decision about contraception should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (1 replies).
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