CONTRACEPTION:
A done deal?
We are convinced that this is not the case.
Firstly, because the number of unplanned pregnancies is still very high in Europe
(up to 30%, depending on the study)
but also because the burden of contraception, whether mental, financial or health-related
is borne by women alone.
Contraception involves preventing spermatozoa from meeting an ovum.
Pregnancy results from this encounter.
When you produce sperm and want to take responsibility for your own fertility, you have to act on your sperm.
act on your sperm.
Here's a quick overview of the different means of action available.
You can follow the links under each method to find out more, or contact the association :
contact@sharedcontraception.org or on Instagram.
We'll be happy to answer your questions!
1) Barrier Method
This prevents fertile ejaculated spermatozoa from fertilising the egg. The spermatozoa are produced, join the seminal fluid and are ejaculated, but are prevented from meeting the egg so as not to cause pregnancy.
For people with testicles, the barrier methods are condoms and withdrawal.
The condom is the only contraceptive that also protects against STIs.
The withdrawal method is recognized as an existing but highly ineffective practice. Studies show a pregnancy risk of 1 in 4.
When it comes to condoms, there's a big difference between theoretical effectiveness (99%) and observed practical effectiveness (82%). Condoms are optimally effective if they are correctly fitted and the right size: a condom that's too big is more likely to come off, tear or show micro-cracks.
DID YOU KNOW?
The condom is lubricated for preservation in its packaging, but this is not always sufficient for intercourse. It is strongly recommended to use a suitable lubricant to avoid micro-cracks, tears and improve comfort for both partners.
Device Name | Availability | Certification | Find out More |
|---|---|---|---|
Condoms | Yes | Yes | |
Withdrawal / Coitus Interruptus | Yes | Yes |
2) Mechanical method
Sperm is produced in the testicles, but is prevented from travelling up the vas deferens, so they don't mix with the seminal fluid.
The ejaculate therefore contains little or no sperm.
This method does not affect sperm production itself, nor testosterone production, nor erectile mechanics.
The best-known of these methods is vasectomy, but there are other promising techniques under development.
DID YOU KNOW?
Spermatozoa account for just 2% of ejaculate!
The rest is a collection of secretions produced by various glands. So using contraception doesn't change what's ejaculated: same texture, same color, same smell, same taste...
Vasectomy, the best-known mechanical method, simply involves cutting the vas deferens - the tubes that carry sperm to the rest of the seminal fluid that will be ejaculated.
The operation takes just 15 minutes and can be performed under local anaesthetic.
Caution: vasectomy is certainly the most effective contraceptive technique, but it must be regarded as an irreversible act. Although techniques for reconstructing the vas deferens (vasovasostomy) are making considerable progress, there is an auto-immune reaction in the body, still poorly understood, which over time renders sperm inoperable.
Reconstruction of the ducts does not always restore fertility.
It should be noted that it is possible to have sperm preserved before the operation, but as we are talking here about sharing the contraceptive burden, it should not be forgotten that sperm preservation implies a MAP course for the partner in the event of a desire for children.
Because the mechanical method is so effective, “reversible” vasectomy is the holy grail of testicular contraception! Numerous prototypes are currently being studied, and have been for decades.
These include RISUG® and VASALGEL®, both of which involve injecting a polymer into the vas deferens. This polymer acts as a “plug” or “filter”, preventing sperm from reaching the seminal fluid.
The polymer can then be destroyed either naturally, or by a simple injection on demand, enabling a return to fertility.
There's also the Sperm-Switch, formerly known as the Bimek. As its name suggests, this is a switch placed on the vas deferens, activated by pressure under the skin. It opens and closes the vas deferens, allowing sperm to pass through or not during periods when you want your sperm to be fertile.
All the above-mentioned methods have been around for decades, without ever becoming available or officially certified. They suffer from a lack of interest in male contraception on the part of the industry, and a lack of financial resources for clinical research.
Click on the links below to find out more about the various projects and their stage of development:
3) Thermal Method
Increasing testicular temperature to reduce fertility is a technique that has been known since ancient times, and has been tried and tested through numerous experiments using exogenous heat (more or less pleasant):
Testicular baths in hot water, kerosene baths, depilatory wax heaters, hot compresses, heating pads, “electric” underwear and so on.
But it was between the 1970s and 1990s that a group of French researchers carried out a series of some twenty clinical studies to establish a thermal “contraception protocol”, this time using endogenous heat: the heat of the human body itself.
People with testicles have an “upper inguinal pouch”, a mirror image of the scrotum, but inside the body. It's perfectly possible to pull up the testicles and place them in this pocket (the exercise needn't be painful), thus exposing the testicles to constant body heat (37°), at least 15h / day.
In 97% of cases, raising the testicles following this protocol is sufficient to affect spermatogenesis and achieve reversible contraception.
Please note: Heat only affects sperm production, not testosterone.
DID YOU KNOW?
The testicles need to be kept at a temperature of 35° to produce sperm. This is why the testicles, through the action of surrounding muscles called the cremaster and dartos, “hang down” when it's hot, or “rise up” when exposed to cold.
The thermal contraception method requires a tool, either to heat the testicles from the outside, or to ensure that the testicles remain comfortably inside the body.
Below, we'll list a variation of different, best known Methods:
-
The Andro-Switch ring
A patented silicone ring designed to sit comfortably on the penis on its own. It's available in 5 sizes to suit everyone.
Please note that this ring is currently undergoing certification. During this process, it can no longer be sold as a contraceptive device. During this time, however, you can purchase “Reversible Talismans”.
The manufacturer also offers on its website 3D files of a similar tool, the “Andro-Swatch”, which you can make yourself.
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The “Slip Toulousain"
This device was used in clinical trials from '70 to '90. Created by Prof. Mieusset, it consists of an undergarment with a hole through which the penis and skin of the empty scrotum can pass, so that the testicles are held in an elevated position.
It is no longer distributed, but you can find tutorials on the Internet or in militant groups to make your own.
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The JockStrap
A kind of harness with a fabric ring in the middle and a small cord to adjust the size to the yard. It must be custom-made to be effective. It's easy to make yourself with a sewing machine and an online tutorial, or you can order it from a seamstress.
New projects are being developed using the same protocol.
These include the 37° project and the Cobalt company, two textile devices currently under development.
As far as exogenous heat is concerned, there is no validated medical protocol.
The best-known tool is called the SpermaPause: a battery-powered boxer that heats the testicles to 43°, allowing them to be worn for between 3 and 5 hours a day to reach the contraceptive threshold.
We could also name the COSO, a kind of ultra-sound bathtub, but this product is not yet finalized and we have no information on its use.
Last but not least, RoNikJa has developed a testicle clamp ConMaCept that uses a very mild electric current to destroy sperm stored in the epididymis, the area at the back of the testicle where sperm end their growth before joining the seminal fluid. This “shock” renders the stored sperm inoperable and prevents them from moving. The person is then contracepted until the sperm stock is replenished (3 to 4 weeks).
Feel free to follow the links in the table below to find out more about the devices, the protocols to be followed, the risks and contraindications :
Device Name | Availability | Certification | Find out More |
|---|---|---|---|
ANDRO-SWITCH | Yes | No | |
COSO | No | No | |
SPERMAPAUSE | Yes | No | |
Slip Toulousain | Yes | No | |
Jockstrap | Yes | No | |
37° | No | No | |
COBALT | No | No |
4) Hormonal method
3 hormones order and regulate the production of testosterone form a self-regulating sperm production system: LH and FSH. This enables the various stages of sperm development.
When testosterone production reaches a certain threshold, negative feedback inhibits LH production, lowering testosterone levels and so on.
These cycles of testosterone production occur continuously in the body, every 60 to 90 minutes, with a peak in the morning when LH levels are at their highest.
By supplying the body with artificial testosterone in large enough quantities, we can activate LH's negative feedback, and thus testosterone production, and hence sperm development.
To put it more simply: by making the body “believe” that it continually has enough testosterone, it will stop producing it naturally, and thus stop producing sperm.
DID YOU KNOW?
Testosterone is a hormone inactivated by the liver. Testosterone cannot be “swallowed”. This is why there is no hormonal testosterone “pill” for men.
Artificial testosterone can be injected into a muscle or applied via the skin (gel, patch).
There is a protocol for hormonal contraception by injection, particularly in France and Belgium. This involves injecting 200 mg of testosterone enanthate (known as Androtardyl) once a week.
This product is used in particular for people undergoing gender transition, or patients suffering from testosterone deficiency, but has no marketing authorization for contraception.
Some doctors prescribe this product off-label, as the protocol for hormonal contraception is validated by the WHO. However, it must not exceed 18 months.
An international study is currently underway on a gel-based product, NES/T, based on the same principle: saturating the body with artificial testosterone so that it no longer produces it naturally.
4) Sharing the burden of contraception
If you are not the one using contraception, for whatever reason, you can still share the burden of contraception. You can mitigate it with a few simple gestures and attitudes:
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Share the expense
Contraception requires medical devices, medication, medical visits and so on. These financial expenses can be shared.
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Talk about it
Knowing your partner's contraceptive constraints is essential if you are to provide the right support.
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Plan ahead
Agree from the outset on the risks of pregnancy and the choices to be made should it occur. No method of contraception is 100% effective, and you're bound to encounter doubts along the way. In France, 1 in 3 women will have an abortion at least once in her life.
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Lighten your mental load
Set yourself an alarm every day to think about contraception for the other person. Keep condoms in stock, as well as pregnancy tests in case of doubts or failures. Read, listen and learn about the subject, so that knowledge doesn't always rest with the same person in the relationship.
