Male contraceptive pill: what men think about taking the pill - as scientists say one could soon be available

A male contraceptive pill could be on the market in five years’ time, following a recent breakthrough in research.

Scientists have discovered a way to safely disable the gene which produces sperm by reducing its count and movement - meaning men using the pill would be temporarily unable to fertilise an egg. Then, if men wish to reactivate the sperm gene, they would simply need to stop taking the medication.

Crucially, experts believe the potential new pill - as a non-hormonal option of contraception - will have minimal side effects, which comes in contrast with the variety of impacts some women experience.

Women have been able to take the contraceptive pill since the 1960s, a breakthrough considered by many as the driving force behind female sexual liberation. But people have long questioned why, in the following years, an array of new contraceptive options were made available for women - but none for men.

This disparity has meant women are often expected to shoulder most of the responsibility when it comes to contraception - so many are already hailing this latest development as a welcome step towards greater equality, with hopes that a male pill could provide more choice and more fairness for all genders.

But, if a male contraceptive pill does ever make it onto the market, what would the reaction be? NationalWorld spoke to a series of men about their thoughts on a potential male pill - and, of course, asked whether or not they would actually be willing to take it.

Jake Slade, 24, from London, told NationalWorld he would be “happy” to take a male contraceptive pill: “If we can ask women to take it, then why shouldn’t men?”

He continued: “I feel it’s a step in the right direction for men to have the option to take a contraceptive pill, instead of using a condom. Also, from what I’ve heard, the men’s version doesn’t seem to have as many side effects as those that women experience.”

Isaac Rawcliffe, 25, from Bristol, had a similar viewpoint. “I’d be willing to take a pill. It’s been a long time coming that men take more responsibility for contraception - or at least as much as women do. It only seems fair.”

However, others were more hesitant about the prospect of a male pill - with George Williams, 23, from Bath, unable to definitively say whether he would use it. “Taking a male contraceptive pill would for me be conditional on allowing for time to see any long-term side effects,” he explained.

“Because the female contraceptive pill has been around for longer, its long-term impacts on general health and fertility are better documented for anyone wanting to take it.”

He added that he would also need to see research on “exactly how the pill worked to see if it directly affected sperm production”. Only if this research confirmed there was no threat to fertility, and any side effects were documented over a prolonged trial period, would he be “open to using” a male contraceptive pill.

Harry Wiseman, 23, from London, shared a few similar concerns - but said these would not stop him from taking the pill. He explained that he would be “worried about the lack of people who have tried [the pill], in comparison to other forms of contraception,” but added he would still be up for using it - remarking that it would add an “extra level of protection”.

Meanwhile, Darragh Mullooly, 35, from Edinburgh, told NationalWorld: “If I was straight, I would 100% take a male pill.” Explaining his reasons, he said: “Having a lot of female friends, I am aware of how the birth control pill, and different forms of contraception, can affect women’s moods and hormone levels, so the man should definitely carry some of the burden.

“Anecdotally, it sometimes seems like birth control and sexual health is more of a priority for women, and so a male pill could encourage straight men to take more of a proactive role in staying safe and free from unwanted pregnancies.”

Speaking on the side effects of a male contraceptive pill, Dr Hana Patel, an NHS GP Expert Witness with a specialist interest in men’s health, told NationalWorld that initial trials suggested there would be impacts such as fatigue, headaches, acne, and a lower sex drive.

She said none of these side effects however were “severe enough for any of the participants to stop the trial”, adding that all of the issues were “less severe than those which impact women”.

Dr Patel added that the evidence does not currently “point towards any long term issues with male fertilty,” because “the effects are reversible when the male contraceptive pill is stopped.” She also said she believed the introduction of a male pill would be useful in terms of providing more contraceptive options for men, who “currently only have the male condom and vasectomies” to choose from.

The potential new pill will undergo several more trials before men can use it, with researchers saying it will likely not be available for at least another five years.