An FDA-approved male birth control is no longer being dangled in front of our faces like a nation of donkeys to carrots. Apparently, a new injection called Vasalgel will be hitting the market as the first FDA-approved birth control for men since the condom. Created by the Parsemus Foundation, Vasalgel is a multi-year, non-hormonal contraceptive for men. Once injected into the vas deferens – or, in less medical terms, "the balls" (specifically, the tube the sperm swim through) – the gel blocks sperm but allows other fluids to get through. The injection can last for up to a decade actively and can be easily reversed with a counteractive injection.
So, what? Is this great news? Of course it is interesting news, but would men be inclined to put this into their bodies?
As women, we have known that in order to be sexually promiscuous or even just active we have to also be hyper-conscious of the repercussions –not only STIs, but moreover, unwanted pregnancy. The burden lies within our bodies.
However, men have never before had to weigh out the same options when it comes to the lesser evils of FDA-approved birth control drugs. Women know what it's like to try multiple brands of pills, patches and injections to find what makes each of our individual bodies less bat shit crazy.
According to the Telegraph, a healthy chunk of men said they would take Vasalgel. I asked around too. One of my friends said, "As long as it has been approved by the FDA and there have been plenty of studies to show that there are no harmful side-effects, then sure. My wife takes birth control, so it is the least I could do, in terms of pulling my weight."
While another male friend of mine commented, "I would take it after it's been in the market for a bit. As a general rule, I don't like to play fast and loose with my genitals. I mean, I do, just not when it comes to brand new dick medicine. And besides, condoms aren't that arduous and pulling out is how the heroes fuck."
(Please keep in mind all my friends are musicians or writers and, of course, fuck like heroes.)
Another friend said, "I think this could be fantastic, especially considering IUDs are widely used in women. Even though I'm generally wary of anything being injected in the greater real estate of my pubic region, I think on an ethical level, leaving the onus of long-term birth control to women is kinda wack."
Then he added his concerns: what are the known side-affects? How easily can it be reversed in case of emergency? And, naturally, "what if it infected me peen" as in, what if Vasalgel did NOT agree with his system?
Welcome to being a woman taking birth control, gentlemen. It sucks so much it's stupid.
One male journalist brought up the point of trust: would some men just lie and say they were on the injection to satisfy the woman in their bed? People lie. Women have lied about being on birth control to get what they wanted. Wouldn't we like to think this is a rare circumstance and that most people are not total piles? I digress.
Considering women do everything from shoving tiny copper wire into our cervix, to having plastic bars implanted under the thin skin of our arms or wearing a dirty bandaid for a month all in the name of not getting pregnant, I don't think an injection is all that bad.
However, straight men have never really had to ponder this kind of thing before. It's a new conversation for them. Usually hearing the words birth control just provokes a happy thought: "Now I can come inside her!"
Come 2018, and you, man, are still single, would you take Vasalgel?
You officially have three years to mull it over.
