In the United States, the male birth control option is furthest along in clinical trials and is closest to be the first new U.S. option marketed for men. Effective male contraceptives continue to elude the general public, and even with several new options in the research pipeline, it may be many years before men have access to birth control from the comfort of their physician’s office. For now, physicians and scientists are working hard to empower men to take charge of their sexual health and contraceptives. The gel, Nesterone/Testosterone drug (NES/T), has been described as a ‘breakthrough’ for male contraception. This gel uses a synthetic form of the hormone progestin to halt sperm flow, and testosterone, to keep the man’s libido at an optimum level, as the sole method of contraception in their relationships. At the University of Edinburgh, trials to test the NES/T gel have been taking place and have tasked over 100 men. The gel has to be applied to the upper arms and shoulders every day, with clinicians monitoring their sperm count as the trial progressed.
One of the 100 men volunteering on trailing the NES/T gel is 32 years old Ed. Researchers were looking for recruits to test what would be the first male hormonal contraceptive on the market. Ed noticed the poster asking for volunteers back in the summer of 2019. The reason why Ed eventually decided to volunteer in these trials was because of his beloved partner of eight years Fiona. Fiona, 30 years old, had been using the copper coil or IUD (intrauterine device), which is a hormone-free contraceptive that sits inside the womb, for about six years without any concerns, until summer 2019 when she went to the doctor complaining about some concerning pains. Eventually, the doctors found out that a 7 cm abscess had developed in her pelvis near her fallopian tube. Similar to toxic shock syndrome, the infection was believed to be linked to her coil. Emergency surgery to remove both the abscess and the coil had then resulted in sepsis and had Fiona being rushed to intensive care.
After that, Fiona was advised to not use the coil anymore, as it was too risky for her health. However, Fiona couldn’t even rely on the birth control drug to have protected sex, since she had tried hormonal birth control in her teens and early 20s, but later found out that it brought on bouts of depression and tearfulness. Due to that, Ed felt the need to take over the burden of contraception for the sake of his partner.
‘I do think a lot of guys don’t realize the daily commitment of managing birth control,’ says Ed. ‘But there’s no good reason why they shouldn’t have the option of doing so.’
After a little less than 18 months of trial, Ed has discussed his experience with the drug. Regarding the couple’s sex life, they both claimed that nothing has changed. The only thing that was included was that Ed had to always shower after sex because if the gel were to rub off on Fiona’s skin she could absorb testosterone and her hormone balance would be affected.
However, Ed also mentioned some side effects that he has experienced; ‘I do occasionally get hot flushes and night sweats. And I’ve gained 3-4 kg.’ The hot flushes are caused by his disrupted hormonal balance, much like the hot flushes that women experience in midlife. As for emotional swings, Ed said; ‘Anything hormonal is going to affect different individuals differently. But something like the gel should still be an option for men.’
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