Despite research going back to the 1950s, there’s still no male contraceptive pill available. Not only does that reduce the choice men have when it comes to staying protected, it can often put the burden of contraception on women.
Our survey of 3,000 UK adults found that women usually take the lead on contraception in their relationship, which makes sense when most of the methods available are designed for women. Here’s how the day-to-day tasks are shared:
Researching contraception options: 47% of women and 15% of men
Booking appointments or arranging supplies: 51% of women and 19% of men.
Remembering pills, renewals or replacement dates: 55% of women and 11% of men.
Speaking to a healthcare professional about contraception: 50% of women and 13% of men.
However, with several new methods for men in development, this could start to change in the next few years and give couples more ways to share the load.
In this article, we look at which male contraceptive pills are in development, how they would work, and when they might become available. We also cover alternative methods of male contraception that are in their research phases, and what’s available to help you prevent unplanned pregnancy in the meantime!
Three key takeaways
There are currently three male contraceptive pills in development, alongside other methods including a contraceptive gel and injections.
The Head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) projected that a male contraceptive pill could reach the market around 2029-2031.
There are still alternative male contraception methods available, including condoms and vasectomy.
Is there a male contraceptive pill?
There is currently no male contraceptive pill available for purchase or prescription, but that may not be the case for long. There are three types of male contraceptive pills currently being developed. The two main categories of pill are hormonal and non-hormonal:
Non-hormonal male contraceptive pills work by disrupting sperm production directly inside the testicles. YCT-529, the most promising non-hormonal pill, does this by blocking essential nutrients involved in sperm production.
Hormonal male contraceptive pills work by interrupting the body’s natural sperm creation signals. This way of ‘tricking the brain’ is similar to how a female birth control pill works.
YCT-529
YCT-529 is a non-hormonal male contraceptive pill. It's being developed by a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota in the United States, led by Dr Gunda Georg.
Sperm production relies on vitamin A, which needs to attach to a protein inside the cells to send the ‘time to make sperm’ signal. YCT-529 blocks vitamin A from attaching, so the signal never gets sent. Less sperm means a much lower chance of pregnancy.
Studies involving non-human testing have shown YCT-529 to be 99% effective. It was well tolerated in the first phase of human safety trials and has now advanced to the next stage of evaluations to prove its safety on a wider scale
DMAU
Dimethandrolone Undecanoate, commonly known as DMAU, is a daily, hormonal male contraceptive pill. It's being studied and developed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the University of Washington, and UCLA in the United States.
DMAU works in a similar way to the combined contraceptive pill, by combining the effects of two hormones in one daily pill. It acts like an androgen (a male hormone like testosterone) and a progestogen (a man-made version of progesterone) at the same time.
Taking it lowers follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). You might recognise these from the menstrual cycle, which they also control. In men, FSH and LH tell the testicles to make testosterone and sperm, so lowering them means far less sperm is made.
Studies suggest that hormone levels start to recover within days of stopping DMAU, and return to their usual range within a month, meaning long-term impacts to fertility are rare.
The pill has undergone Phase 1 trials, in which doses over 200mg successfully suppressed sperm while remaining well-tolerated by the participants, and has now reached Phase 2 trials.
11β-MNTDC
11β-MNTDC is another hormonal male pill which has been called a ‘sister compound’ to DMAU. It's being developed by teams at the University of Washington and UCLA.
This pill works in the same way as DMAU, suppressing the hormonal signals from the brain that tell the testes to make sperm.
At the time of writing, no release date has been given for a male contraceptive pill.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the head of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) Contraception and Fertility Care Unit, Dr James Kiarie, gave a timeline of 3-5 years for the pill to be released. This would mean that a pill could be ready around 2029 to 2031, if the ongoing clinical trials succeed and the pill is approved.
Male contraceptive skin gel, which is in development and has reached Phase 3 trials, may be closer to being released than a male contraceptive pill.
Why doesn't a male contraceptive pill already exist?
There are a variety of reasons why male contraceptive pills aren’t yet publicly available:
Side effects
Hormonal male contraceptive methods that suppress sperm production also lead to a drop in testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. Low testosterone is associated with side effects like mood changes, low libido, and loss of muscle.
When researchers add testosterone or progestins back into the body to keep testosterone-related characteristics like sex drive and muscle mass, these synthetic replacements can cause their own set of side effects, including acne and oily skin, weight gain, and altered testosterone levels.
Side effects don’t make the pill any less effective at preventing pregnancy, though. Hormonal contraception for women can cause them too, like headaches and mood changes, and many people try a few methods before they find one that suits them. Men could approach a male pill in the same way, weighing up any side effects against the benefit of having another contraceptive option.
Side effects of contraceptive pills for women are weighed against the health risks of pregnancy and childbirth, which fall on the person who’s pregnant. Men don’t carry those risks, so researchers and regulators may be more likely to view side effects of a male pill as risks to their health.
User demand
Historically, it’s been thought that men wouldn’t be interested in taking a male contraceptive pill, or that women wouldn’t trust them to remember to take it. This perception has led to a widespread lack of financial investment in male contraceptive programmes. Yet, according to a 2024 study, 61% of men would be willing to take the male contraceptive pill in its first year of availability.
Are there other types of male birth control being researched?
The male contraceptive pill isn’t the only form of male birth control method in development:
Gel
Hormonal contraception gel is currently progressing through trials. The most advanced form of this male contraceptive is NES/T, a combination of nestorone and testosterone.
NES/T is a gel that men rub onto their shoulders once a day. It contains two hormones, segesterone acetate (also called Nestorone, a progestogen) and testosterone.
It works much like DMAU, but the two hormones come as separate ingredients in one gel instead of as a single molecule, which makes it the closest match so far to how the combined pill works for women.
The progestogen lowers FSH and LH, the same hormones that DMAU targets, so the testicles stop making their own testosterone and sperm production drops.
The added testosterone replaces what the testicles have stopped making, so sex drive, muscle mass and energy stay steady.
Because it’s absorbed through the skin, it releases a steady dose throughout the day. However, it takes a few months to bring sperm counts low enough to prevent pregnancy, so couples are advised to use another method of contraception in the meantime.
Hormonal injections
Testosterone injections prevent pituitary hormones (chemical messengers which trigger sperm production) from being released. They’re currently stalled in development and are seen as unlikely to progress to the commercial market.This is because the range of reported side effects include abnormal blood lipid levels, severe acne, and significant weight gain. Testosterone has also been found to be more effective in combination with other hormones.
Hormonal combination injections are currently in mid-late stage trials. They contain a combination of hormones like norethisterone enanthate and testosterone undecanoate to reduce sperm production. A number of side effects have been reported, including mood swings, loss of sex drive, muscle pain, and acne.
Other injection options being developed include Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) antagonists. These are drugs designed to block the body’s command centre for reproductive hormones. Two issues holding this method back are the requirement of frequent injections and the cost of the treatment.
Non-hormonal options
Non-hormonal male contraceptives prevent sperm from reaching the vagina. There are currently two options in development:
Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance (RISUG) is an injection into the vas deferens, which are the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles. A chemical polymer in the injection coats the tubes and ruptures the membranes of the sperm passing through, making them infertile. It doesn’t prevent you from having an orgasm or ejaculating.
An intra-vas device (IVD) is placed into the vas deferens tube to filter out the sperm. Development of IVD is currently stalled, with a major challenge being whether it can be reversed. Long-term use of the device may lead to tissue damage that could mean it may be trickier to restore full fertility after it’s removed.
Male birth control methods
If you’re a man who wants to prevent unplanned pregnancy, there are still forms of contraception you can use. The two main types of male birth control currently on the market are condoms and vasectomy:
Condoms have been found to work around 98% of the time and offer the added advantage of protecting against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). How effective a condom is in stopping unplanned pregnancy depends on whether you wear it correctly. Read our guides to find out how to find the best condom for you, and learn more about how to use a condom
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure to cut and seal the vas deferens. This stops sperm from entering the semen that you ejaculate. Having a vasectomy doesn’t affect your sex drive or stop you from having an orgasm.
“There’s no male contraceptive pill available yet, but at Chemist4U, we offer a range of both male and female contraception.
You can choose from male condoms that come in various fits and thicknesses. We also offer free contraceptive pills via our NHS service. Our friendly pharmacists can provide a consultation on the phone, meaning no GP appointment is necessary.
Once your eligibility has been confirmed, you can have free your NHS contraception – including the morning after pill, combined pill, and mini pill – delivered to your door.”
Research hasn’t stopped on the male birth control pill. There are several pills currently being worked on, but none are available yet. They include hormonal pills like DMAU and 11β-MNTDC, and YCT-529, a non-hormonal pill.
The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 3,000 UK Consumers (including a minimum 1,500 who have had sex) (nat rep 18+). The data was collected between 26th August and 1st September 2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.
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