Most European men would try new contraception methods if available, survey finds

Most men would embrace contraception designed for them, such as on-demand pills taken before sex, a daily hormonal gel or a thermal silicone ring, but funding gaps are keeping these products years away from pharmacy shelves. Most men in Europe would use contraception designed for them if available, a new survey spanning Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom has found. Out of surveyed 14,000 men, more than half in all countries said they would start using a novel male contraceptive within 12 months of approval, and only 9% said they would never use one. That ranged from 55% in Sweden and Denmark to 69% in the United Kingdom. Currently, the only contraceptive methods for men include condoms and vasectomy. The majority of contraceptive methods available in the market are designed for women, from hormonal IUD implants to oral contraceptive pills. However, there are eight novel products under development at different stages of clinical trials, such as on-demand pills taken before sex, a daily pill, a daily hormonal gel, a long acting vas-occlusive hydrogel, and a thermal silicone ring. While a third of men willing to use male contraception would do so within three months of the product being available on the market, they might need to be patient. According to researchers, the main barrier stopping these products from reaching the market is funding. “The contraceptive field has just been funded almost exclusively by the philanthropic and public sector for 30 years now. So, there's just not a pathway that pharma has been involved,” said Heather Vahdat, executive director of Male Contraception Initiative, a non-profit organisation working on non-hormonal, reversible male contraception. Men who wanted to use these products earlier cited more autonomy, protection from unwanted pregnancies, dissatisfaction with condom use and a desire to relieve women of the burden of protection, said Steve Kretschmer, executive director of DesireLine, who conducted the survey, during the presentation of the results on Tuesday. Another barrier to unlocking male contraception potential is the perception and acceptance of the broader population, including women. “I think one of the key issues has been this belief that, well, men may not feel the interest and that women may not trust them,” Kretschmer added. Which method would men prefer? A non-hormonal pill taken 30 minutes before sex is the single most preferred product in every country by men, followed by a daily pill. The vas-occlusive hydrogel — a non-hormonal and non-permanent gel that blocks sperm transport — reached 12% acceptance in Germany and France, while the silicone ring — which warms the testicles to reduce sperm production — was more accepted in Türkiye. Of all respondents, 10% of men in the United Kingdom said they would not use any of the products — the lowest share — while Italy and France recorded the highest, at 17%. The survey noted that although interest was broad among all men, those who were more sexually active or visited the doctor more frequently showed greater interest. Currently, condoms are the most common contraception method among men, but only half of users use them every time, the survey found. If men who are currently unprotected were to use contraception as stated in the survey, the overall coverage would increase across Europe, ranging from a 31% rise in France to a 73% rise in the UK. The survey was presented on the same day as the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the main goal is to expand the choices of male contraception and reduce the disproportionate contraceptive burden on women in its new Target Product Profiles (TPPs) guide for male contraceptives. There are three main targets for development: methods that inhibit sperm production, methods that interfere with sperm mobility and methods that block the passage of sperm through the sperm ducts, WHO said in its guide.