Since the first vasectomy was performed in the 1890s (imagine being that volunteer), the male contraceptive armoury has barely advanced. The last reversible method was added to this repertoire centuries ago: while rubber condoms hit the mass market in the 1850s, earlier versions date back beyond ancient Egypt. This looks on the cusp of change.
In a landmark announcement last week, the World Health Organization said it expects reversible male contraceptives to be available on the market within five to 10 years. But no major medical breakthrough has just been announced - the fundamentals of male hormonal contraceptives have been known for decades. So what is the science, how does it work and why has it taken so long to get here?
That’s the subject of today’s First Edition. Before that, this morning’s headlines. Politics | Senior Downing Street officials have been reaching out to thinktanks and pollsters as they look to test public support for the UK rejoining the EU.
Middle East | One of the pilots of a plane flying from the United Arab Emirates to Israel stabbed his co-pilot and appeared to try to crash the aircraft, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, as Israeli officials said they were investigating whether the incident was an attempted terror attack on Israelis. UK news | There are “strong indications” that Iran played a role in events in which five men were arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire as part of a terror investigation, Andy Burnham has said. Immigration and asylum | The UK government’s “one in one out” deal with France, which was supposed to help deter small boat arrivals, is expected to expire on Thursday, as talks stall over French demands for an EU-wide scheme.
Television | Esther Rantzen, the Bafta-winning TV presenter and founder of Childline, has died aged 86. In a statement, her family paid tribute to “the most wonderful mother” and “cherished grandmother”. It’s estimated that 70% of women in the UK have used the contraceptive pill at some point in their lives, having first been introduced here in 1961 (for married women only).
The pace at which the pill proliferated is remarkable - the first trials of hormonal contraception for women began in the United States in the 1950s: by 1960 it was available, and within two years, 1.2 million American women were using it. Despite the pill’s wide uptake and high efficacy, the need for further effective methods of reversible contraception has remained consistent. Nearly half of all global pregnancies are unintended, with many resulting in unsafe abortions.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
