Most men in Europe say they would use a new form of male contraception, meaning that pregnancy responsibility might no longer be seen as solely a woman's responsibility or concern.
Nadja Mannowetz, a sperm biologist and co-funder of YourChoice Therapeutics, which develops male contraceptives, said in a press briefing on Tuesday that men from around the world have contacted the company asking where they can buy their products already.
According to her, their motivation is not simply the desire to take control over their own fertility; many men say their female partners are struggling with the side effects of hormonal contraception and want another option.
That desire (or need) for male contraceptives is explored in a new study considered to be the largest one analysing the demand for these novel methods on the continent. The Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI) is the second-largest funder of male contraceptives and commissioned the study, conducted by behavioural science consultancy DesireLine.
Around 62% of men surveyed across seven European countries said they would start using a novel male contraceptive within a year of it becoming available. Interest was highest in the United Kingdom, at 69%, followed by Poland at 66% and Turkey at 65%. Germany and Sweden recorded the lowest figures, although a majority (55%) still said they would use one.
Researchers surveyed 14,086 men aged 18 to 45 in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, between late May and early July this year. The surveyed men were all sexually active with women and were able to father a child.
Today, only two contraceptive methods are available to men: condoms and vasectomy. Researchers are trying to give men more options. In the study, they presented participants with six possible products; the methods used to produce them match those used in contraceptives currently in development. These include pills, hormonal gel, and longer-lasting, wearable methods.
Credit: Belga
Men surveyed had a clear preference; roughly six in ten opted for a pill. The most popular was a non-hormonal pill that could be taken around 30 minutes before intercourse. Between 25% and 33% chose this option, depending on the country.
The second most popular option was taking a pill every day; between 16% and 21% of men said they would give it a try. Other options included a daily hormonal gel, a long-lasting vas-occlusive hydrogel and a thermal silicone ring. Between 10% and 17% of men said they would never use any of the six options.
Executive director of DesireLine, Steve Kretschmer, said the research challenged the assumption that men were not keen on taking a greater role in contraception.
"We asked men directly, product by product, and the answer is that most of them are waiting for the science to catch up with their desire to use new male contraceptives," he said in a statement.
"The demand is there: it's measured, it's consistent across very different countries, and it includes millions of couples who want to share the responsibility of pregnancy prevention."
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European men more keen to use them than American
European men's attitudes towards contraceptives differ from Americans. Kretschmer said that interest appeared substantially higher in Europe. The study's initial findings pointed to differences in how men perceive responsibility and the need for greater equity between partners.
"There are some differences in terms of feeling of responsibility, a little bit less in the US, [and] some differences in the perceived need for equity," Kretschmer said, adding that research on these specifics is still in early stages.
Researchers also found that European men do not use contraception the same way.
Condoms are the most common primary method among the men surveyed, but only half of men who use condoms said they used them every time they had sex.
When men using no modern contraceptive method were combined with those using condoms inconsistently, researchers estimate that between 36% of men in France and 52% in Turkey did not have consistent modern contraceptive coverage.
Also, interest in new male contraception was not confined to men who were already consistently using contraception.
Among those without consistent coverage, between 55% and 69% said they would adopt a male method within 12 months of it becoming available. Researchers explain new male methods could therefore reach people who are currently poorly protected against unintended pregnancy rather than merely replacing contraceptive methods used by women.
Illustration image of contraceptives. Credit: Belga/Herwig Vergult
A 'must-have' protection against STIs
Heather Vahdat, executive director of MCI, said women had carried an unfair weight of contraceptive responsibility for decades, with the assumption that men would not step up.
This new study, she added, is saying otherwise: uncertainty over whether men would actually want contraceptive methods should no longer be used as an argument against investing in their development.
Demand also exists for products that do more than prevent pregnancy. Half of respondents said protection against sexually transmitted infections would be a "must-have" feature of a new male contraceptive.
Researchers also found that simply showing men what future contraceptives might look like appeared to change attitudes. Before seeing the six products, 41% said they wanted to become more involved in contraception. Afterwards, the figure rose to 46%.
Would men pay for contraception?
Median willingness to pay for one month's supply ranged from €18 in Sweden to €29 in the UK. In France and Italy it stood at €20, compared with €23 in Poland and €25 in Germany.
Researchers estimate potential first-year market across the seven countries could reach around €6 billion if men adopted the products at the rates they reported and paid the median amount they said they were willing to spend.
But there is a twist: the study measures what people say they intend to do, rather than what they will necessarily do once a product reaches pharmacies.
The contraceptive field has depended heavily on philanthropic and private funding for years, researchers said. To develop a medical product, many clinical trials and regulatory approvals are required. All of this can require funds running into hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. Funding specifically dedicated to male contraception remains limited.
MCI's executive said its funding remains tiny compared with the sums required to bring medicines to market. Pharmaceutical companies' reluctance partly reflects uncertainty about the eventual market. Developers have long faced basic questions: will men actually use a contraceptive themselves, and will their partners trust them to do so?
Messages arriving directly from men to product developers and the new study offer a glimpse of a real need for men to take control of their own fertility.
