For those of you who have not heard a new, male, permanent, but reversible, contraceptive is in the works. It is called Vasalgel. Vasalgel is a gel that is injected into the Vas Deferens of a male. This gel forms a wall in the Vas Deferens that blocks the flow of sperm. As long as the gel sits in the Vas Deferens the man will be rendered impotent because the sperm will not be present in his ejaculate. The world’s reception of this polarizing news was rather un-noting. There are many people who believe that Vasalgel will not have an effect on the world. However, I believe that it will have a massive effect on the world.
I would argue that The Birth Control Pill, “The Pill,” has been one of the most influential medical innovations of all time; it’s impact on society immeasurable. Why should Vasalgel be any different if it does the job of the pill many times more effectively? The argument from those who believe that this will not change the world is: “We already have incredibly reliable contraceptives like condoms or the pill, why would we need another?” I argue it is not about the effectiveness that makes Vasalgel important, it is the level of responsibility required to use it consistently. When using a condom or a pill it requires dedication and responsibility. As beings who make mistakes, or errors in judgement, the powerful contraceptives humans have been given often go to unused. It takes true dedication to stop in the heat of the moment and put on a condom. It takes true dedication to wake up and take your birth control pills every day. It does not take dedication to go into a doctors office one time every seven years to get an hour long, reverse-able, operation. This is a massive reason, of many, that Vasalgel is a much more legitimate contraceptive. Let’s look at some potential secondary effects that could occur should Vasalgel become the contraceptive of choice:
For decades now women have been in control of the contraceptive in dedicated relationships. Women have had the responsibility to medicate their ovulation away. A daily commitment small as taking a pill is often easy to forget. It comes as no surprise that women often forget to take their pill. It is difficult for people to remember to take their pills for any ailment they may have, men and women. However, the mistake of missing a pill is costly. Should her ovulation occur the couple will find themselves with a child. Vasalgel will shift the responsibility, and ability, to control contraceptive in a relationship to the man. This fact alone changes the power structure of any intergender relationship. I believe that, with Vasalgel, women will feel the harsh sting of being lied to about contraceptive use for the first time in history and the backlash will be huge. Do you hear me? Huge, massive, startling. Since the 70’s there have been millions of instances of women going off the pill, lying that they are on it, and having babies. Now the tables are going to be turned. It will be interesting to see how society responds to such problems when women become the victims of these crimes.
A second secondary change Vasalgel could cause in society pertains to birth rates. Historically as contraceptives have become more prevalent birth rates have decreased. Currently in Western society we see that birth rates are plunging already. Japan is below replacement, as is Germany. Will Vasalgel bring more of that? If the current relationship between birth rates and contraceptives continues to exist many, many more countries will drop below replacement levels. This will put strain on the economic and political status quo. It will also bring many more problems where the young will need to support the old. As a result we could begin to see advertisements and laws begin to skew towards incentivizing people to begin families.
The secondary changes above are merely scratching the surface of possible societal change that Vasalgel could cause. An operation that allows us to bend purest nature to human will without hardly lifting a finger has to cause change. Humanity has lived with the fear of accidental child birth for the entire time we’ve been on this planet. Cutting off the supply of sperm in a reversible operation is going to change the way humans live forever.
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