Men in Control

Men in Control
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            When the topic of birth control comes into conversation, females are usually the ones that come to mind. Women have a multitude of birth control options including the pill, a patch, lube, a shot, and even irreversible surgery. Men really only have two options for birth control; condoms or getting rid of the “family jewels”. If only there was a birth control option that was easy, lasted a long time, did not have any negative health effects and was 100% effective. This would theoretically take the headache away from the concept of contraception. The good thing is, this form of birth control actually exists.

            The drug is called RISUG (reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance). It was developed in India and takes about 15 minutes to perform the “procedure” and lasts around 10 years without needing to renew it. According to Jon Clinkenbeard, a blogger/journalist at Techcitement.com explained, “A doctor applies some local anesthetic, makes a small pinhole in the base of the scrotum, reaches in with a pair of very thin forceps, and pulls out the small white vas deferens tube. Then, the doctor injects the polymer gel, … pushes the vas deferens back inside, repeats the process for the other vas deferens, puts a Band-Aid over the small hole, and the man is on his way.” The procedure is quick, reliable and virtually painless.

It works by injecting a polymer gel, called Vaselgel in the U.S, which is mainly made from two “common chemicals”, says Clinkenbeard. The gel proceeds to stick to the walls of the vas deferens (the tube inside a male’s testicles that sperm travels through) and thickens within the next three days. It does not block the sperm from traveling down the scrotum; the gel basically shocks the sperm to death by canceling out the sperm’s negative charge with the polymer’s positive charge, as paraphrased from Ruben Roel, a blogger and journalist for Technorati.com. This does not change the feeling during a male’s orgasm. Can it get any better? Apparently it can. Clinkenbeard states that a potential side benefit of RISUG is the possibility of curing HIV, but studies so far are inconclusive.

            This procedure is in its third stage of the trial process, the last stage before being approved for unmonitored use. Sujoy K. Guha is a professor of biomedical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology and the inventor of RISUG. According to the Male Contraception Information Project, Guha started research in 1991 and referred to the procedure as an “NSV” (no-scalpel vasectomy). MCIP’s websites assures men that having a RISUG injection is less painful initially, effective quicker, has less recovery time and does not leave the patient with long term back pain compared to a traditional vasectomy. “RISUG has been safe and effective in 25 years of animal and human trials.” This injection was first successfully studied in rats, monkeys and rabbits before given to human volunteers in India beginning in 1997. Studies have not been conducted outside of India or on any race other than Indian.

Researchers say that the only problems they have encountered are not related to the actual drug. One issue has been the way it was administered; the design of the syringe was troubling but the problems have reportedly been solved and technicians have been re-trained. The other reported problem was how a few patients failed to correctly follow the directions that advise against having unprotected sex for the first ten days after the drug was administered (since the drug did not have enough time to adhere correctly).

While reports on this new underground drug state that studies are constantly positive and the effectiveness goes without comparison, pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. apparently show no interest in selling RISUG to their patients. The main reason stated, by both Roel and Clinkenbeard, is the lack of revenue that it would make. Since this drug is cheap (the medicine cost less than the syringe used to inject it) and lasts for such a long time, these companies would rather make money by selling Male Hormonal Birth Control which is a pill for men that they take every day; just like women.

            When RISUG was described in detail (including all known pros and cons) during an interview discussion with six various college students, mixed feelings were expressed about which methods are actually more appealing; the Vaselgel shot for men or any of the various established contraceptives for women. The opinions interviewees gave were evenly divided. Two out of four males think it is a good idea and said they could see themselves considering it if the option became available and both females thought it sounded like a safer alternative, but only one favored it over female contraception. The students’ conflicts of opinions sparked the following debate:

Abel Jose, a first year biomedical engineering major, first took a lighter approach to the topic. When RISUG was described to him, he jokingly asked, “You want me to hook you guys up?” This statement was based Jose’s Indian descent and that only Indians can receive/have received this procedure so far.  He then explained, “I think it’s a good idea. First off, you don’t have to worry about a condom [or taking a pill] every day. With pills, if you miss one day you’re basically screwed and you have to start [the process] all over.”

“Women’s birth control is just so much easier,” argued Josh Jones, a second year Criminal Justice student. “[Women] just get a pill which already lowers the chance of them getting pregnant and it also helps regulate [their] woman problems (aka, their menstrual cycle).”

 Lauren Sedeyn, a first year biomedical engineering major, refuted Jones’ opinion. “Some women are allergic to birth control and can’t take it.” She described how most of the women in her family are allergic to the chemicals in birth control pills and therefore cannot take them. When this procedure was compared to tubal ligation (getting one’s tubes tied), Lauren argued, “[RISUG] isn’t invasive. [Women] have to go into surgery and [men] don’t.”

Sean Warden, a first year civil engineering major, interjected by saying, “Birth control has more benefits for women (other than childbirth) that this shot doesn’t have for men. If [researchers] could find a way to add those benefits for men then that would change [my opinion] a little bit.” The “benefit(s)” he believes should be added to Vaselgel include the reduction of acne and regulation of hormone/testosterone levels.

In agreement with Sedeyn’s opinion, Jose then said, “I wouldn’t want to keep getting shots. I’d rather just [inject] my [testes] and be done with it.”

Jones again expressed his lack of appeal to the process by adding, “I’m sorry that I don’t want to get my [testicles] stuck with a needle, no matter how numb I am.”

Jones then posed the question, “What if a guy is allergic to [the chemicals in Vaselgel]?” He explained his disbelief in the effectiveness and lack of side effects. “It just sounds too good to be true. There has got to be some reason it isn’t used in the United States yet other than the [lack of monetary profit to pharmaceutical companies].” Jones then reminded everyone that RISUG has so far only been tested in India, on Indians, and considered that it might have different effects and results for different races.

“There are not really that many genetic differences between [races],” assured Jose. “Also, the medical system in the U.S. is stricter. They don’t take risky procedures. People go get medical stuff done overseas all the time because they’re better in other places and people are looking to save money. Yeah, it’s risky and it may have its side effects but in the long run it could rationally be better for you.”

Marissa Hollabaugh, a first year exercise science major thinks contraception is more of a priority for females than for males. “It’s more responsible for a guy [to do this procedure], but I really think it’s a girl’s responsibility. But, I think it would be good for a guy to take [the shot] if a girl can’t (be on the pill).” She then added, “… for healthy girls it’d be safer if they didn’t want to have children too; just in case.”

Warden then echoed Jones and Hollabaugh’s favoritism for female contraception by saying, “I’d rather have my [partner] take a pill that is painless rather than me getting two shots in the [testicles]” He then asked if the pill was covered by health insurance. When he was informed that females have to pay out of pocket, he added (regarding the low cost of RISUG), “If [the pill] was just covered by health insurance than it’ll (also) be [cheap] along with it being painless,” and decided that his official opinion is to have the pill covered by health insurance.

 “Guys should do it,” said Ryan Meier, a first year chemical engineering major. “It’s (theoretically) a onetime thing and you don’t have to worry about your girl taking birth control. Shoot, I’d get it done.” After a pause he added, “Well… maybe not. I don’t know. It’s a good idea though.”

Jones ended the discussion by explaining, “I’m not completely against it. I would just have to wait for a lot more certainty before I consider it over all the other options there are now.” This statement caused a concluding agreement among all interviewees.

This drug in fact does sound like a dream come true to those who worry about which birth control to chose and whether or not it is going to be enough to prevent pregnancy, but there is an unmentioned potential issue that could grow out of this drug being approved. Should sexually active men who get this procedure done be worried about a higher risk of catching/spreading an STD? The interviewees were asked if this is something important enough to worry about. All six students agreed that it was a potential issue but many stated that people would not worry about it anymore that they do now.

Hollabaugh said she expects people would become more reckless while having sex. She replied via text message saying, “[People] wouldn’t have to take as much precaution because their risk of getting pregnant would already be lowered.”

Abel expressed his concerns for what would happen if college students would/could get the shot. “Guys already don’t care much (about protection) but guys that don’t have to worry at all will just sleep around with any girl and they won’t care; especially if they’re in college.”

Warden mentioned the uncertain protection that condoms had. “… Condoms don’t necessarily protect from STDs either. There’s a higher risk (with RISUG) but there’s still a risk either way. The main reason people even wear a condom is to prevent having a kid. (Also,) it’s the exact same risk as a girl being on birth control and not wearing a condom.”

Lauren agreed then added, “It’s just like using condoms now. [They don’t] completely protect against STDs or pregnancy and people don’t realize that because sex education in our schools isn’t good enough; hence ‘16 and pregnant’.”

            While RISUG is still in the final phase and has not been accepted in the United States yet, it could be important for more people to consider this as a major source of birth control in the future. There are a few ways that people and companies are showing their support for the further development of Vaselgel/RISUG around the world. Roel says that a generous donation from the Gates Foundation was given to the Parsemus Foundation which is trying to introduce and begin development of RISUG in the United States. There is also an online petition circling certain parts of the web for people to sign and share to show that America has the demand that eagerly wants Vaselgel to be supplied.