Male contraception: a historical analysis of the condom, vasectomy, and future innovations

Abstract Male contraception has been utilized for thousands of years and has included abstinence, withdrawal or coitus interruptus, condom usage, and vasectomy. With a rapidly changing reproductive health landscape, there is continued interest and an acute need for new and innovative forms of male contraception. This manuscript aims to look at the history of male contraception as currently used today and to look at future applications. Peer-reviewed and lay literature was examined to discuss the history and to examine the future directions of the field. Barrier male contraception was first recorded in history in 3000 B.C with the use of animal-based penile sheaths in Crete. Charles Goodyear’s invention of rubber vulcanization during the Industrial Revolution enabled the mass production of more durable rubber condoms, which were later refined with the introduction of latex in the 1920s. Vasectomy was first explored for use in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia prior to its modern use as contraception. The history of vasectomy is complex, as it was misused in eugenic programs in the United States and other countries during the 19th and 20th centuries. These involuntary sterilization programs, aimed at preventing individuals deemed “undesirable” from procreating, were eventually outlawed. Voluntary vasectomy has been a mainstay of permanent male contraception in modern history for decades. Ongoing research continues into novel therapies for male contraception, including both hormonal and non-hormonal methods. With continued interest in providing men with safe and effective forms of contraception, continued research into novel therapies is of the utmost importance.