Condoms and Vasectomies Aren’t Enough—Is a Male Birth Control Pill Next?

In this episode, host Rachel Feltman speaks with freelance science
journalist Hannah Seo about a promising new development in male
contraception: a hormone-free birth control pill that reversibly
stops sperm production has just passed its first human safety
trial. Seo explains how the drug works, what makes it different
from hormone-based methods and where it stands in clinical
development.   Recommended reading: First Hormone-Free Male
Birth Control Pill Shown Safe in Early Human Trial Male Birth
Control Is in Development, but Barriers Still Stand in the Way
“Safety and Pharmacokinetics of the Non-Hormonal Male Contraceptive
YCT-529,” by Nadja Mannowetz et al., in Communications Medicine,
Vol. 5, Article No. 279. Published online July 22, 2025 Email us at
sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or
ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new every
day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily
newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda
Mwangi, Kelso Harper and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by
Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show.
The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about
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