New Injectable Gel Could Offer Temporary Birth Control Option for Guys

Hey Guys, here is a new solution for you who do not yet want children but hate condoms, or for those that can’t face a vasectomy, there is a new option when called  Vasalgel.

 

Vasalgel – an injectable ‘barrier’ that seals the small tube that carries sperm, called the vas deferens.The gel works like a filter to stop the passage of sperm while allowing other fluids through, but unlike a vasectomy, it is easily reversible.

It is being developed at the Parsemus Foundation, based in San Francisco.

The long-acting, non-hormonal contraceptive would require a procedure similar to a non-scalpel vasectomy, where gel is inserted in the vas deferens, rather than cutting the vas, as done in a vasectomy.

 

‘If a man wishes to restore flow of sperm, whether after months or years, the polymer is flushed out of the vas with another injection,’ the company says.

It is intended as an alternative to a vasectomy, but not a replacement for condoms, because it would not protect men against sexually transmitted infections.

Although it is not yet ready for humans usage, animal trials in rabbits and baboons have proved that it’s effective, and that a second injection dissolved the barrier, enabling animals to regain their fertility.

 

Elaine Lissner, director of the Parsemus Foundation, told Yahoo that Vasalgel is similar to, and as effective as the female IUD - an intrauterine device better known as the 'coil' that's inserted into a woman's uterus - for preventing pregnancy. 

‘So far, it’s even a little better,’ she said.

 

‘The goal is to have it on the market as an alternative to vasectomy as soon as possible, with the first clinical trial expected to begin in 2014,’ it says

The gel could mean that vasectomy’s may no longer be needed which can have complications and side effects, such as pain, infection and bleeding.

 

Male fertility expert, Dr Jamin Brahmbhatt, Co-Director of The Pur Clinic, welcomes a new contraception option for men, but is cautious because the injection site is so tiny. He fears that scarring from the injection of the barrier, could stop a reversal. ‘Since there’s no long-term data on this, there’s no guarantee about the effectiveness of a reversal,’ he said.

Credit: yahoo via Mailonline