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For decades, contraceptive options have predominantly targeted women, from oral birth control pills to intrauterine devices, injections, and patches. Even though these advancements revolutionized reproductive healthcare and provided women the opportunity to have autonomy over their own bodies as well as their life choices, this progress fails to highlight the large physiological burden and detrimental side effects that contraception has placed on women.
From headaches, cramps, nausea, and reports of depression and anxiety, female contraceptive methods often involve altering hormonal pathways, which can negatively impact the lifestyle of women everywhere. The female-centered world of contraception has perpetuated a gendered approach to reproductive health, often allowing men to disregard the mental and physical implications of this burden. Society has normalized - and even obliges - women to learn how to shoulder the financial, emotional, and physical toll of preventing pregnancies.
This raises a critical question: “When will men begin to share this responsibility?” Brian Nguyen, a former student at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University and the founder of EMERGE Lab, believes that the answer to this lies in advancing technologies that aim to redistribute this obvious inadequacy and foster a shared responsibility in family planning. Brian states, “since the time that I was a medical student, I had known there wasn’t a male contraceptive and I was curious about why there wasn’t.”1 This intentional curiosity, in addition to his desire to enter the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Nguyen’s journey to “alleviate burdens for women”1 and advocate for women from a “rights standpoint [and] a gender equity standpoint”1 started to take form as an innovative shoulder gel for men.
At its core, the hormonal male contraceptive gel represents an innovative approach to temporarily suppress sperm production without causing permanent changes to fertility.2 Dr. Nguyen states that “there are two kinds of male contraceptives that are actively in clinical trials.”1 One of the contraceptives is a non-hormonal gel, meaning that the hormones that facilitate the production of sperm are simply not activated. According to Dr. Nguyen, this gel is easy to use and is “injected into the vas deferens in order to … block the flow of sperm.”1
The contraceptive that Dr. Nguyen is currently working on involves a hormonal gel that men apply to their shoulders. The mechanism behind the gel in itself is simple. The gel is applied to the shoulder and a small fraction of the gel is absorbed into the bloodstream, which then migrates into the pituitary gland of the brain.2 The pituitary gland controls LH, luteinizing hormone, and FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone. Both of these control the production of testosterone and sperm at the level of the testicles. When the gel reaches the pituitary gland, it can turn off the LH and FSH signals to stop the production of sperm.2 According to Dr. Nguyen, the beauty behind this gel is that it can “simply block the signals without having an impact on reversibility or anything long-term.”1
Over the past few decades, it has been clear that the responsibility of preventing pregnancies falls solely on women around the world. The development of male contraceptive methods, such as the hormonal gel, is just one facet of a much larger mission to promote gender equity in reproductive health. As Dr. Nguyen explains, the EMERGE Lab—Expanding Male Engagement in Reproductive and Gender Equity—seeks to redefine the role that men play in this space. “Male contraception is one little sliver of that,”1 Dr. Nguyen notes, emphasizing that men’s involvement extends beyond preventing pregnancy and includes family planning, preventing infections, reducing cancer risk, and fostering healthy sexual relationships.
Historically, reproductive health has disproportionately centered on women, causing researchers and medical professionals to sometimes overlook any possible male role. For instance, while the HPV vaccine was initially recommended only for women, it wasn’t until years later that we understood that male partners can both carry and transmit the virus. This delayed recognition of men’s role in reproductive health underscores a persistent afterthought mentality when it comes to male involvement. “The goal,” Dr. Nguyen asserts, “is to make this a genderless issue.”1 By addressing reproductive and sexual health as fundamental human rights that apply to all bodies, innovations like the hormonal gel can help pave the way for more equitable and inclusive approaches to care.
Recent social and legislative developments have further highlighted the urgency of these male contraceptive options. Dr. Nguyen notes that while it’s difficult to measure a definitive increase in male receptiveness to birth control, broader public awareness and advocacy surrounding male contraceptives has been increasing. “Ever since we saw more abortion restrictions,” Dr. Nguyen explains, “we did see men comment more publicly about their desire to support their partners, or even cases where they felt threatened by the loss of an option.”1 These responses reflect a growing recognition of the need for men to actively participate in the battle for contraception equality, particularly as reproductive autonomy faces new challenges.
The commitment to advancing gender equity within reproductive health extends beyond the hormonal gel. The EMERGE Lab continues to explore innovative solutions that address the full spectrum of reproductive health needs for men.
“I think the visibility of reproductive rights issues creates more dialogue among men, women, and couples,”1 Nguyen said. Nguyen continued that the work on hormonal contraception has shown that there is a “demand” for male contraception. Nguyen continued that there are other mechanisms of male contraception being explored—such as Dimethandrolone Undecanoate (DMAU) and 11B Nortestosterone Dodeclycarbonate (MNTDC)—but the research isn't “as far along.”1
DMAU, also known as “the daily male birth control pill”1 on EMERGE’s website, suppresses sperm production. Because of DMAU’s strong binding and affinity to the androgen receptor, DMAU also accommodates the side effects that occur when decreasing a man’s testosterone, which can include differences in mood, sexual behavior, and weight.
Similar to DMAU, MNTDC is also taken orally and targets both androgen and progesterone receptors. The EMERGE lab is continuing to research the compound to determine the “perfect dose for sperm suppression.”
Writer: Timothy Ro
Researcher: Hadley Carr
Editor: Grace Martin
Editor Soyu Hong
Illustrator: Sadie Levine
1 Nguyen, Brian. Personal interview with the authors. 11 November 2024.
2 Nguyen, B. T. (2022). The EMERGE Lab: Expanding Male Engagement in Reproductive and Gender Equity. EMERGE Lab. https://www.theemergelab.com/