And apparently, plenty of guys are eager to give them a shot.
asserted
plenty → give → shot
A 2024 survey of more than 18,000 men across seven countries found that 61% would consider trying a new male contraceptive within its first year on the market, including 49% of those in the US.
asserted
% → find → US
One company looking to capitalize on that interest is NEXT Life Sciences, which is working on two potential options: PausePill, an on-demand drug taken before sex, and Plan A, a reversible implant designed to keep sperm at bay for years.
asserted
which → look → years
“We have 50,000 men who’ve signed up just from word of mouth,” L.R. Fox, founder and chairman of NEXT Life Sciences, told The Post.
asserted
Fox → have → Post
“We’re not actively advertising.
asserted
We → advertise → ?
People are signing up and saying, ‘as soon as it’s available, please.’”
Here’s everything you need to know about the two novel birth control methods — including one that may make orgasms even more pleasurable.
Male birth control for when you need it
PausePill is a non-hormonal, oral contraceptive that aims to provide about 24 hours of birth control.
NEXT envisions two ways to take it: a man could pop a pill when he wants protection, or take one every day for continuous coverage.
uncertain
he → sign → coverage
The pill works without shutting down sperm production.
asserted
pill → work → production
Instead, it interferes with the biological signal that tells the vas deferens — the tubes that carry sperm — to release it during ejaculation.
asserted
that → interfere → ejaculation
In theory, the rest of the experience is supposed to stay intact.
asserted
rest → suppose → experience
Men would still be able to get an erection, have an orgasm and experience sexual pleasure, even though sperm isn’t released.
asserted
sperm → get → pleasure
“In fact, anecdotally, we’ve heard men say that they actually have increased pleasure,” Fox said.
asserted
Fox → hear → pleasure
It’s still early days, but in a US Phase 2 trial, PausePill prevented sperm release in 100% of participants who took it within two hours.
asserted
who → ’ → hours
The men also reported no meaningful difference in sexual pleasure or function compared with those who received placebo, and there were no major adverse events.
asserted
who → report → placebo
Larger trials will be needed to determine how well the drug works — and how safe it is — in a larger group of men and with repeated use.
asserted
it → need → use
“We are sprinting towards a larger clinical trial starting at the end of this year, 2026, with hopes to bring it to market within two years,” Fox said.
asserted
Fox → sprint → years
If it ultimately gets regulatory approval, PausePill would initially be available by prescription.
asserted
PausePill → get → prescription
Set it and forget it
For men who’d rather not think about birth control every time they have sex, NEXT is working on Plan A, a reversible implant that could provide longer-term contraception.
uncertain
that → set → contraception
“It’s a light switch for fertility,” Fox said.
asserted
Fox → ’ → fertility
“When you’re ready, whether it’s three years or five years or 10 years from now, we’ll flip it back on.”
asserted
we → ’re → it
Plan A uses Vasalgel, a hydrogel that is inserted into the vas deferens.
asserted
that → use → deferens
Rather than cutting the tubes like a vasectomy, the gel forms a flexible barrier that blocks sperm while allowing other fluids to pass through like normal.
asserted
fluids → cut → sperm
“A vasectomy permanently shuts off that pipe by cutting it,” Fox said.
asserted
Fox → shut → it
“This is just a small little filter that’s put in there.”
asserted
that → put → ?
NEXT says the procedure can be done in about 10 minutes in a doctor’s office, where the gel goes through through a tiny puncture without a scalpel or stitches.
asserted
gel → say → scalpel
But men won’t be able to ditch their other birth-control methods right away.
asserted
men → ditch → methods
Sperm already in the reproductive tract still needs time to clear, which Fox said can take up to three months, roughly the same timeline as a vasectomy.
asserted
Fox → need → vasectomy
Men would be advised to continue using another form of birth control until a doctor or at-home test confirms there’s no sperm in the ejaculate.
asserted
doctor → advise → ejaculate
And when it’s time to turn fertility back on, NEXT has a separate reversal device with a solution to dissolve the gel.
asserted
NEXT → ’ → gel
In an early first-in-human study, 16 men were successfully implanted with Vasalgel.
asserted
men → implant → Vasalgel
All reached azoospermia, meaning there was no measurable sperm in their ejaculate, within 14 days.
asserted
All → reach → days
“There were no serious adverse events, and everything resolved quickly otherwise,” Fox said.
asserted
Fox → be → ?
“In fact, all men were able to return to work immediately.”
asserted
men → return → work
A second part of the study is now evaluating whether the implant can be reversed and fertility restored.
asserted
fertility → evaluate → study
Previous animal studies of the reversal process have produced positive results, Fox said, making the company have “very, very high confidence” in the regimen.
asserted
company → produce → regimen
The push for male birth control isn’t coming from men alone.
asserted
push → come → men
A 2023 survey found that two-thirds of American women were interested in having their partners use contraception, citing shared responsibility, an extra layer of protection and avoiding side effects from their own methods.
asserted
partners → find → methods
“I believe future generations will look back and be like, in 2026, like how did you not have this?” Fox said.
asserted
Fox → believe → this
“It’s about time.
asserted
It → ’ → time
Let’s get this done and just make this normal.”
asserted
this → let → ?
The Aporia
