New Male Contraceptive Alternative In The Works

A bath for your boys.

New Male Contraceptive Alternative In The Works

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

For years now, if you want to bump uglies with your better half without risk of conceiving a child, the best contraceptive options for men are the humble condom or the not-so-humble vasectomy. One can limit the amount of pleasure and feel you get from the act of making love, while the other provides a permanent solution to a child-free future. 

Women, on the other hand, have a number of options available to them, including the notorious ‘pill’, the diaphragm – or female condom – a contraceptive injection, an implant or an IUD. It certainly begs the question, why are there not more contraceptive options for men? The onus is far more heavily skewed towards females to take measures to prevent pregnancy, but it takes two to tango. 

Men could soon be gifted a new option, however, if one industrial design graduate has anything to do with it. Enter: COSO, a potential contraceptive invented by Rebecca Weiss, who, according to News.com.auis an industrial design graduate from the University of Munich. Rebecca took home the prize for winning entry at Germany’s James Dyson Awards for her invention, which uses ultrasound technology to prevent male sperm from swimming towards an egg. 

Up until the invention of COSO, research and development for new male contraceptive methods have tended to hit a brick wall, predominately because it has proven to be a much harder task. This is because women only produce one egg each month, compared to men who produce sperm on a regular basis. 

Potential drugs that could well inhibit a man’s ability to produce sperm – such as this heat sensitive formula that would block sperm from getting out – have also shown to cause a decrease in testosterone levels, the male hormone that men need to look and feel good, as well as to give them a sex drive in the first place.

COSO however, aims to remedy this. It is what can only really be described as a ‘ball-cuzi’, as it requires the man to dunk his boys into an ultrasonic bath, wherein it will use deep heat to cease sperm mobility inside the testicles. Rebecca adds COSO is completely hormone-free and reversible. 

If and when it goes into full production, and men choose to use it lest they be gifted a screaming toddler, they will have to use it for the first time under supervision of a doctor – don’t worry, they’ve seen everything before – and will then take around two weeks for the treatment to take full effect. So no jumping from bath to bed on the first night, fellas. 

COSO users will then have to continue to give their gonads baths every few months for it to remain effective, and following the last time it’s used, you can expect to have up to six months of pregnancy-worry-free sex. 

Being a 21st century device, there is a companion app available, which you can use to monitor the time remaining until you remove your plumbs from their soaking. “The technology of the COSO is based on a study of the Parsemus Foundation from 2012, in which successful research was conducted on ultrasound contraception,” Rebecca relates.

“So far, the procedure has been applied to animals. Therefore, the technical parameters are hypothetically transferred to humans.”

Rebecca’s reason for coming up with COSO relates to our opening paragraph. News.com.au adds she was diagnosed with precursor cervical cancer, and had been taking the common contraceptive pill. The pill, if taken for lengthy periods of time can actually increase a woman’s chance of contracting cervical cancer. 

Image: Jamesdysonaward.org

Speaking of her invention, Rebecca added, “When my partner and I were looking for an alternative method  [of contraception], we became aware of the lack of male contraceptives.”

“This problem is not unique to me personally, it affects many others as well, as is made evident in the current growing public discussion about the lack of contraception alternatives.”

“COSO offers a user-friendly contraceptive method that is easy to use, without any physical intervention, pain or any known side effects.”

However, she also adds, “But without valid data, the project cannot be realised.”

Rebecca is hoping to secure more funding – she won $3690 for winning the contest in Germany – so that further clinical trials can take place. COSO has been chosen as one of 20 short-listed finalists to be in with a chance of winning the international award, which would see Rebecca win an additional $55,358 worth of funding.

If put into full-scale production, COSO will be easy-to-use, easy to clean and will be available in a range of colours.

Terrifying, or a more relaxing way to live a more relaxed life? You decide.

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