
Topics: Science, Health, Sex and Relationships, Parenting
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The line between a happy accident and screaming 'oh god, oh f**k I really should have worn a condom' in a blind panic is quite clear, so a new contraceptive could really help some men avoid landing themselves with a lifelong commitment.
While there are already existing contraceptives - most of which are for women - some of them are hormonal treatments and others are more permanent than people would like.
However, this new one which has just enjoyed a 'promising trial' is for men and would just need a 30 minute appointment for contraception that could last as long as two years.
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According to IFL Science, this potential new male contraceptive is called ADAM and it's designed to temporarily block sperm from going through the vas deferens, which is the fancy name for the tube which carries sperm out of your balls.
This treatment is an injectable gel which blocks the tubes and allows a man to continue ejaculation and enjoying sex without sperm getting through and bringing the possibility of children into the mix.
Apparently, once the gel has run its course of about two years it'll liquefy without doing any harm to the meat and two veg and sperm flow will be back on.
While a vasectomy cuts the vas deferens and seals them off this potential new treatment just blocks them off with gel for a while, and since a vasectomy can be reversed but the procedure doesn't always work it's considered a permanent contraceptive.
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Men looking for a temporary contraceptive have largely been restricted to condoms, though there have been attempts to develop a male version of a birth control pill.
ADAM is being developed by a company called Contraline, and there's a 'promising trial' going on where two men have now gone two years after having the gel injected and are not showing sperm in their semen.
Other guys who are part of the trial are showing success after spending between one and two years with the gel clogging up their balls.
Later on this year there will be some new trials which aim to recruit at least 30 men and see how the treatment goes with them over the coming years.
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Contraline claimed to IFL Science that they won't be short of volunteers, as they reckon they've got about 15,000 men who are willing to sign up for the next round of trials.
If everything goes to plan then ADAM could even get a public rollout before the end of this decade, with the company suggesting that it could even happen as early as 2028.
Company boss Kevin Eisenfrats told the outlet: "Researchers have been working on male contraception for 60+ years, but there has never been a method that has shown full safety, efficacy, and reversibility beyond Phase 2 trials
"With recent advancements in drug development and medicinal chemistry, biology, including identification of new targets, and new materials for vas-occlusion, I believe we're now closer than ever to figuring out the science piece.
"I also do believe men are more ready for new male contraceptives now than they were 20, 30, 40 years ago. There's no question that there is demand from consumers."