Male Contraceptive 'Pills' To Be Made Available By 2018, Provides Up To 10 Years Of Protection

A contraceptive "pill" that could provide protection to men could be made available for consumer use by 2018. The pill reportedly will provide protection for a continuous period of 10 years and will be the first clinically approved contraception method for men since condoms.

The "pill," called Valsagel, is being developed by The Parsemus Foundation. The official website of the nonprofit company claims that it works "to advance innovative and neglected medical research."

The new male contraceptive is not actually a pill. It is a gel which can be injected into the vas deferens of a male under local anesthesia. Vas deferens are the tubal structures known to carry sperm. The sperm-carrying tubes are accessible through the male scrotum.

The contraception mechanism works by using the gel to block the sperm. The process is reversible by having another injection to dissolve the gel so that the sperm can travel again. Researchers believe that each shot of gel can last for 10 years, but that has not yet been confirmed clinically.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph Wonder Women poll recently revealed that nearly 52 percent of males would take the contraceptive pills if they were readily available. Only 25 percent of males said that they would not take any form of male contraceptive pills, and 23 percent said that they were not sure.

The Parsemus Foundation claims to have successfully tested the product on animals. In addition, it is planning to start the human trials in 2016. The foundation is firm that an approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would allow the product to be sold across the globe.