Shared Responsibility: How Male Contraception Can Reduce Emergency Contraception Use

A guest post from Jaylan Weaver. 

Our current reproductive health landscape places contraceptive responsibility almost entirely on women and people with uteruses. Women are expected to carry the full weight of preventing pregnancy often through methods that are costly, invasive, or have side effects. This results in an inequitable system that reinforces long standing gender and social disparities.This imbalance creates cascading challenges throughout the reproductive health system, including increased reliance on emergency contraception when other methods fail or are inaccessible.​

Emergency contraception plays a critical role in preventing unintended pregnancy, but its effectiveness is limited by barriers in access, awareness, cost and stigma. Women and couples typically turn to emergency contraception following contraceptive failure, unprotected sex, sexual assault, or in cases where infrequent sexual activity makes emergency contraception a practical primary method. 
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The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the leading professional membership organization for ob-gyns, identified these barriers in its Committee Opinion 707, Access to Emergency Contraception. ACOG defines emergency contraception as a contraceptive method used to prevent pregnancy in the first few days after unprotected intercourse, sexual assault, or contraceptive failure. ACOG notes that the copper IUD is the most effective form of emergency contraception; however, relying on the copper IUD requires a method that is invasive, costly, not accessible to everyone, and presents issues with side-effects. ​

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ACOG lists several barriers that limit women’s access to emergency contraception, especially in underserved populations. Widespread misconceptions among patients and providers, inconsistent pharmacy stocking, and lack of awareness of over-the-counter availability all influence people’s ability to access emergency contraception. Additionally, some women are unaware that they can ask for an advance prescription, and health care practitioners have described only providing emergency contraception on request. Financial barriers and insurance coverage gaps also reduce access, especially for people with low incomes. ACOG describes how these obstacles disproportionately impact communities that are already struggling with contraceptive access and further prevent their ability to avoid unintended pregnancy.

Male Contraceptive Initiative supports nonhormonal male contraceptive research and development because these products will dramatically increase options for men and people who produce sperm. This will allow men to take a more active role in pregnancy prevention within their relationships, while also giving men the ability to protect themselves from experiencing an unintended pregnancy which is a level of autonomy that has been severely limited with the few currently available male methods (condoms and vasectomy). 

Male contraceptive methods offer an opportunity to address the scenarios that lead to emergency contraception use by providing an additional layer of protection and reducing reliance on a single method. This allows couples to prevent pregnancy rather than relying on emergency measures after unprotected intercourse. It is important to note that emergency contraception remains a valued part of the contraceptive method mix that many women choose to use. The widespread utilization of male methods would serve to complement women accessing different contraceptive choices. 

Several male methods are currently in development, each offering different advantages for users. Some methods work hormonally, using testosterone and progesterone to affect sperm production, while others take nonhormonal approaches that don’t impact the body’s hormone levels. These methods vary by how they’re administered and how long they last. Long acting options like ADAM and Plan A, offer protection over an extended period of time. Daily methods such as the NES/T hormonal gel and the YCT-529 nonhormonal pill provide routine contraceptive coverage. On demand methods, like Sacyl's sAC-inhibitor pill, could offer flexibility for spontaneous use. Together, these developing methods have the potential to reduce some instances of emergency contraception use by expanding who can take preventative action. When both partners have access to effective contraceptive methods, couples gain more flexibility in managing their reproductive health. 

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, there has been increased legislative effort dedicated to restricting reproductive rights and limiting people's access to contraception. Anti-reproductive health lawmakers have repeatedly stood against legislation that would enshrine the right to contraception in law. The development, acceptance, and use of new male methods could help counter the growing restrictions that increasingly affect women trying to contracept, and help close gaps in reproductive health equity. By changing who can prevent pregnancy, male contraception addresses the structural inequity that places both barriers and the consequences disproportionately on women. Expanding contraceptive responsibility beyond people with uteruses means everyone gains more control over their reproductive health outcomes.
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ACOG recommends that ob-gyns use emergency contraception visits as an opportunity to counsel patients on the full range of contraceptive methods available and help them transition to another method if desired. Imagine if providers could discuss male contraceptive options during these visits, encouraging patients to have conversations with their partners about shared contraceptive responsibility. For this vision to become a reality, we need to increase contraceptive options that support people of all genders. Investing in access to reversible male contraception lays the foundation for men and sperm producers to assume a meaningful role in preventing unintended pregnancy, redistributing responsibility that has long been placed on women alone.

As a male public health professional working in a space dedicated to advancing women’s reproductive health, I often find myself thinking about what it means to take responsibility in a system where the burden falls so heavily on women. The development of male contraceptives presents an opportunity, for me and for sperm producers more broadly, to participate more equitably in pregnancy prevention. Expanding these options would not only shift the contraceptive landscape but also help create a shared model of responsibility that supports autonomy, equity, and informed decision-making for all partners. Advancing reproductive health outcomes for all contraceptive users starts with addressing the inequities that restrict contraceptive choices and accelerating the development of male methods that can help increase the responsibility and contribution of sperm producers.

About the Author: Jaylan Weaver is a Master of Public Health Student at the University of Maryland and a Program Specialist at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). His work in reproductive health began with Male Contraceptive Initiative, where he explored how expanding contraceptive options for men could address unintended pregnancy and support reproductive autonomy. This experience shaped his understanding of how contraceptive responsibility is distributed across genders. ​