Male Birth Control Is Almost Here – But Will Masculinity Get In the Way?

When you hear the word contraception, what pops into your head? Hormonal pills? An IUD? The coil? Patches? Vaginal rings? Injections? Implants? Maybe even the old-school cervical cap? Almost every option you can think of is designed for women — which is why birth control has long carried an overwhelmingly feminine image.

For men, the menu is painfully short: condoms or a vasectomy. That’s it. Neither is wildly popular and both have their own drawbacks. And here’s the kicker — even if men were offered more choices, like a pill or regular injections, there’s a widespread belief that many still wouldn’t take them.

If you’re wondering why some guys are reluctant to use contraception, research shows it often comes down to two things: fear of side effects — the same side effects women already face, or in some cases even milder ones — and the association of contraception with femininity.

This debate (you can find it in the comment section) sparked up again recently after news broke that the male contraceptive pill, called YCT-529, had completed its first human trials — with promising results. Still, many women remain skeptical that men will actually take it.

To find out whether men would be willing to try the new pill, and how women feel about male contraception — including whether they’d trust their partners to take responsibility for something that directly affects women’s bodies — we spoke to some people aged between 22 and 28.

But before diving into their answers, here’s what you need to know about YCT-529.

It’s arguably the most advanced contraceptive ever developed, and it sounds like a dream for both men and women: it’s hormone-free, which means it doesn’t affect testosterone levels, mood, personality, or sex drive.

There’s also no increased risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, blood clots, or cancer — all of which can be side effects of female hormonal birth control. In short, it has no impact on men’s physical or mental health, except for one crucial thing: it renders sperm unable to fertilise an egg.

It works by targeting a protein called retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-α), part of the vitamin A signalling pathway essential for sperm production. By blocking RAR-α, the pill disrupts sperm development without interfering with hormones.

In its initial human trial — which wasn’t designed to measure effectiveness (that will come in the second trial) but rather to assess its impact on the male body — 16 healthy men aged 32–59 took the pill. The results, released on July 22, showed no changes in hormone levels, sexual function, or mood, and no adverse effects on heart health, blood composition, or inflammation markers.

And here’s another bonus — it doesn’t have to be taken daily. Each dose lasts about 65 hours, so one pill every two to three days is enough. It’s also reversible, meaning fertility returns once you stop taking it — unlike a vasectomy.

Sounds pretty great, right? So why would men still refuse to take it? Is it about masculinity? Or is it simply that many don’t see contraception as a shared responsibility?

When we spoke to male participants, many agreed that contraception is a joint responsibility in relationships.

“Considering that men don’t have any real contraception, other than condoms, [contraceptive responsibility] should be something men take into account more — especially when it comes to women’s bodies,” one participant told us.

He explained that men should be more aware of their partners’ overall well-being, especially sexual health, whether their partners are on the pill or considering pregnancy. In his view, most decent guys already care about their partners’ physical and sexual health — but he believes society should encourage this even more.

During our conversations, it became clear that they didn’t see contraception as “a girly thing,” and that the association with femininity wouldn’t stop them from taking an oral contraceptive.

One participant said: “That’s probably an opinion you’d find in very patriarchal or male-centred societies. I don’t think it reflects the majority of young men growing up in Western, liberal democracies.”

Still, there was a small catch. One participant admitted that taking hormonal pills that affect physical well-being could feel like a loss of masculinity: “If [hormonal contraception] were to lower my sperm count and reduce my testosterone and stuff, it would definitely be a form of emasculation — or whatever the word for it is.”

He went on to explain that, for him, taking a pill wouldn’t necessarily mean becoming more feminine — and he doesn’t see that as a bad thing anyway. Instead, it’s about “dignity, which is in [a man’s] balls.”

By this, the participant meant that having functional testicles, the ability to have children, and the physical capacity to “be a man” are, for him, essential to his identity. “And if you’re not able to do these things just because you’re taking male contraception, I think it would definitely be the reason for lads not to take the pill — even if they weren’t planning on having children for a long time,” he said.

Another participant built on this point, saying that sharing contraceptive responsibility can actually bring a sense of maturity, since it means taking responsibility for a partner’s reproductive health — which, in turn, can add to a sense of masculinity. But, he noted, the possibility of losing the ability to have children or ending up with non-functional testes would feel like a loss of dignity and make some men feel “less of a man.”

When asked if they would personally take the male contraceptive pill in a stable, long-term relationship, both participants said that if YCT-529 proved effective and free of side effects after full testing, they would be willing.

For them, it would be a way to lift the burden of side effects from female contraception and share an important responsibility that should belong to both partners. They also stressed the importance of pharmaceutical companies investing more in male contraception.

So, while men set a higher bar for what they’d accept in male contraception — a standard that’s challenging but, we believe, achievable in the next few years — one big question remains for women who sleep with men: would they actually trust their partners with such a major responsibility as preventing pregnancy through male birth control?

Research from North East England shows that 19% of women wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving contraception entirely in their partner’s hands. Their concerns range from the belief that, because men’s bodies aren’t directly affected, they might not take it seriously enough, to old-school ideas about masculinity — the assumption that men simply aren’t capable of managing something like this. The fear is that a missed pill could easily lead to an unplanned pregnancy.

To explore this further, we spoke to several female participants who actually rejected the idea that women wouldn’t trust their partners to take the contraceptive pill.

The first participant in our mini survey said, “Contraception is definitely a dual responsibility and should affect both partners in any type of relationship — not just heterosexual ones.” She added that men shouldn’t only care about their female partners’ sexual well-being, but should also “be open to taking male contraception, especially since there is now finally a market for it.”

Another participant said it feels unfair that women are often the ones who have to think more about contraception, especially outside of long-term relationships. “You just don’t see men caring about it as much, simply because it doesn’t affect them. And I think it’s really shitty.”

But she also noted that among Gen Z couples in long-term relationships, there’s definite progress in equality around contraception. “I have [female] friends in long-term relationships whose partners are already sharing the responsibility — like getting pills, condoms, or whatever they need.”

She added that she’s often been with partners who were fine with her not taking the pill and who took on the contraceptive responsibility themselves. “I was usually in relationships where I put that responsibility on the men anyway — like buying condoms. I just didn’t want to deal with it anymore, so I was like, ‘If you want to have sex with me, you will care about these things and come prepared.’”

So when asked whether she’d trust her partner with the birth control pill, her answer was clear: yes — she’d be more than fine with it. And honestly, it makes sense. How can you expect to build a strong, meaningful relationship if you can’t trust your partner to do something as simple as taking a pill every two or three days?

For another participant, it was harder to say with 100% certainty whether she’d trust a partner to take the male pill, since she’s not currently in a relationship. But she made one thing clear — she’d only date a guy who was open to male contraception: “I believe it’s a feminist issue, and I wouldn’t date a man who has no interest in feminist issues — especially this one.”

Looking back at what our participants shared, there’s a lot to feel hopeful about. First, Gen Z men don’t seem to be buying into the stereotype that taking the pill is somehow “feminine” or would strip away their masculinity. More and more are taking an active role in their partners’ sexual well-being — and many say they’d be willing to share or even fully take over this responsibility if the YCT-529 pill proves safe and effective.

It’s also encouraging to hear that the women we spoke to have clear boundaries and respect their own bodies. If they’re uncomfortable with taking the pill because of its long list of side effects, they’re ready to communicate openly with their partners — which can lead to men stepping up and sharing, or even taking on, the contraceptive responsibility.

So, if past research painted a picture of male contraception as doomed by stigma, our conversations suggest otherwise. The hesitation isn’t so much about ego — it’s about side effects. Take that barrier away, and the resistance starts to crumble.

Maybe, in just a few years, the idea of a man casually taking his birth control pill every couple of days won’t sound revolutionary at all — it’ll just sound normal. And maybe that’s exactly the future we should be aiming for.

Words by Dana Shmyha