Men, are you ready to pop the pill?

Following the social media buzz around the YCT-529, a hormone-free and orally administered male contraceptive pill and a shot being developed in the US that could potentially change the birth control landscape, TOI conducted an online survey in Chennai, where the first question asked was whether using a male contraceptive might affect fertility. A resounding 73% of respondents said they would never consider it.“Condoms? Any day. But a male contraceptive pill? Never,” says Jason Thyagarajan. “They may say it’s non-hormonal, but these pills are known to cause hormonal imbalances. They’re like medical castration,” adds the 27-year-old musician from Chennai.YCT-529, a hormone-free male contraceptive pill developed in Columbia University in the US, was shown to block sperm production in male mice and primates during clinical trials. Research established that YCT-529 was suitable for human studies, and a phase 1 clinical trial for the drug was completed successfully in 2024 by YourChoice Therapeutics. The drug is currently undergoing safety and efficacy testing in a second clinical trial. However, fears of reduced libido, infertility, and a perceived threat to masculinity, however, continue to dominate the conversation.Pankaj says he is worried about pill-induced impotency. “Even some regular medicines are known to cause erectile dysfunction and lower the sex drive. I wouldn’t want to take something that would definitely cause this problem,” he says.These individual fears reflect a broader imbalance in how contraception is viewed in India, where studies say women shoulder 80% of contraceptive responsibility from pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs) to injections and surgical methods such as a tubectomy.Men, on the other hand, have far fewer choices, mainly condoms and spermicidal creams. While vasectomy is a permanent option, it is often ruled out by many due to persistent fears that it could reduce libido or cause impotency, a belief that medical experts insist is unfounded. The hesitation, say doctors, often comes down to one thing: masculinity. “A man’s only concern is that his erection and ejaculation should be unaffected, neither his sex drive. While male contraceptive pills are the way to go and do not affect libido, the lack of social acceptance and myths surrounding a male contraceptive pill have slowed down studies and research on temporary male contraception. So much so that Gossypol a drug developed in the early 1970s, was discontinued and research was shelved because men were worried about impotency,” says Dr PM Gopinath, director for reproductive medicine at Kauvery, Vadapalani.“And such is the concern about the male sex drive that many women prefer to take contraception themselves, rather than risk it with their partners,” he says.Gurumitraa Rathinam, 27, says men need to take a more proactive role in contraception and its long overdue. “When there’s an opportunity for them to share the burden, it’s only fair that men also take the pill. This also shows that they care for their partner,” she says.Men want to use contraception methods that are convenient, like a condom or a spermicidal gel, rather than putting themselves and their bodies through pills, says Dr Narayana Reddy, consultant of sexual medicine at Apollo Hospitals. “The pills are affordable and easy to use. Social acceptance will come only through awareness of what it does to your body. Many men still believe that vasectomy causes impotency, so getting them on the pill can be a task”.