Most contraceptives are designed for people with uteruses, which leaves little to no options for those with testes. Currently, men have only two “effective” options for birth control; male condoms and vasectomies. Condoms are a barrier form of contraception that stops sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg. A vasectomy is a minor, usually permanent, surgical procedure that “stops” sperm from reaching the semen ejaculated from the penis. Men can get the vasectomy reversed; however, it is a semi-costly procedure, and sometimes the reverse surgery does not work.

The new pill was created by a team at the University of Minnesota that blacks proteins from binding to vitamin A, which is known to be crucial to fertility and virility in mammals. It was 99% effective at preventing pregnancy in mice and has no apparent side effects, according to the research. According to Gearg, YCT529 (male birth control) will begin testing in human clinical trials in the third or fourth quarter of 2022.