History of Male Contraceptive Initiative
Male Contraceptive Initiative was founded in 2012 in response to the identified need for an organization dedicated to providing advocacy and funding support for the development of non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive methods. Since then, the organization has experienced tremendous success and growth as we continue championing an underfunded and underrepresented area of sexual reproductive health. In the timeline below, we share some of the highlights from each year of the organization's existence.
2023
2023
- 2023 grantees Johan Andersen-Ranberg, Deborah Anderson, John Howl, and Steven L’Hernault are announced
- Male Contraceptive Initiative partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fund a market research study across 7 distinct markets around the world to develop an understanding of the demand for male contraception, men’s interest in and preferences for novel forms of male birth control, and the level of trust that female partners have in their male partners to use birth control. The study was designed and conducted by Outsight4Development, Alstonia Impact, and DesireLine.
- MCI’s Kevin Shane invited to be a speaker at SXSW to highlight the significance of male contraception in “Reproductive Autonomy: It’s a We-Sponsibility”
2022
2022
- 2022 grantees Lonny Levin & Jochen Buck are announced
- Male Contraceptive Initiative launched its for-profit subsidiary Contraceptive Accelerator Network (CAN) to help ensure that promising non-hormonal, reversible contraceptive targets receive the support necessary to develop them as next generation birth control methods
- MCI worked with students from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health to develop an educational digital manual that provides an introduction to and exploration of male reproductive biology and birth control
2021
2021
- 2021 grantees Nadja Mannowetz, Mike O'Rand, Gunda Georg, Jean-Ju Chung, and Thomas Garcia are announced
- Male Contraceptive Initiative launched its Non-hormonal, Reversible Male Contraception Target Database
- In an effort to connect male contraceptives to sustainability goals and challenges, MCI created a series about Male Contraception & The Sustainable Development Goals
- Male Contraceptive Initiative developed a series of educational primers to help inform people about male reproduction and contraception
- MCI created a robust set of “Personas” for the research community and general public to utilize in brainstorming about the contraceptives of the future
- Reaffirming its role as an ecosystem facilitator, MCI hosted a virtual ideation event with colleagues and peers in Australia to explore collaboration opportunities
- MCI published a forum outlining the purpose of and funding opportunities provided by Male Contraceptive Initiative
2020
2020
- Male Contraceptive Initiative partnered with Contraline, Inc. to provide a $1 million Program Related Investment (PRI) to support a first-in-human clinical trial for the company’s novel vas-occlusive contraceptive device, ADAM™
- 2020 Grantees Mike O’Rand, Mariano Buffone, Robert Braun, Alison Ojanen-Goldsmith, and Pablo Visconti are announced
- Oleksander “Sasha” Kirsanov, Saman Nayyab, and Md Abdullah Al Noman named 2020 MCI Fellows
- Brittany Chambers and Jaylan Weaver join us as our first fellows from North Carolina Central University
- Townshend Peters and Elyse Miller join us as our 2020 fellows from UNC Gillings School of Public Health
- 2020 MCI RFA announced with funding tracks of $150,000 and $300,000, including scope for behavioral research
- David C. Sokal, MD, steps down as Chair of the Board
- MCI publishes peer-reviewed articles in Biology of Reproduction and Contraception
- MCI launches Intended - the first podcast focused entirely on male contraception
2019
2019
- 2019 Grantees Mike O’Rand, Stephen Palmer, Steven L’Hernault, and Zhibing Zhang are announced
- Vas-occlusion grants awarded to Contraline and Revolution Contraceptives
- Four new research grants awarded from $150,000-$300,000
- Kathryn Carpenter joins as our first fellow from UNC Gillings
- MCI publishes our first consumer research study
- Pilot programs launched for Campus Ambassadors & a Youth Advisory Board
- Melanie Balbach, Jae Yeon Hwang, and Max Lyon named 2020 MCI Fellows
- 2019 RFA announced with funding tracks of $150,000 and $300,000
- Ideation event and convening of non-hormonal male contraceptive researchers hosted in San Francisco
2018
2018
- Four $150,000 seed grants awarded to early stage research universities in the US, Australia, and Argentina
- Co-authored a publication on the potential impact of new male contraceptives on unintended pregnancies in the journal, Contraception
- Deb Levine, MA is hired as Interim Executive Director
- Fellowships awarded to 2018 MCI Fellows Aaron Crapster and Liliya Gabalev
- Heather Vahdat, MPH is hired as Executive Director
- Kevin Shane is hired as Communications & Design Director
2017
2017
- Logan Nickels, PhD is hired as Director of Programs and Operations
- First $500k grant awarded to start-up, Vibliome, working on kinase inhibitors and their escape pathways
- Conducted market research survey on acceptability of novel male contraceptives with 1500 men in the US
2016
2016
- Partnerships established with FHI360 and DKT International
- Board of Directors expands to a total of 7
- Scientific Advisory Board convened
2015
2015
- Indiegogo campaign raises $10k in donations for MCI
- Grant awarded to Dr. Gary Flynn at the University of Montana
2014
2014
- Aaron Hamlin, JD, MBA hired as the first Executive Director
- Name of the organization is changed to Male Contraception Initiative (MCI)
2013
2013
- Article published in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News titled, “Men and Women Need a New Contraceptive” by David C. Sokal
- The Foundation for Male Contraception incorporated as a 501(c)3 organization
- First funding awarded from Elaine Lissner of the Parsemus Foundation
2012
2012
- David C. Sokal, MD gives a presentation making the case for new reversible male contraceptives at a WHO Technical Consultation in Geneva
Male Contraceptive Initiative's Key Milestones
Funding Highlight
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Male Contraceptive Initiative's Fellowship Program
Our Fellowship program provides direct research support to graduates and postdoctoral fellows investigating novel ways of developing or supporting male contraceptives. This program is a critical component of our funding strategy as it helps to ensure promising, talented scientific minds stay engaged in the field, and that they receive the support and mentorship necessary to achieve success. Find additional details below! |
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Trainee Success Program Testimonials
MCI provides support for young researchers looking to attend conferences, workshops, and professional development courses that allow them to promote their career. Our investment in the youth of the field ensures that exciting research programs can be fostered, connections can be made, and new ideas will always have the support they need to flourish.
See what previous Trainee Success Recipients have to say about the program:
See what previous Trainee Success Recipients have to say about the program:
"I sincerely appreciate the support provided through the Success Grant in Male Contraception Research, which facilitated my participation in this event and has enriched my trajectory as a researcher."
- Hiram Pacheco Castillo
“This experience will definitely positively influence my career as it inspired me to further my research in the field of andrology and possibly in the development of male contraception.” |
“I would like to thank MCI for providing me with a travel grant without which I could not attend this prestigious conference. This was the first international conference I presented my PhD work, and it was an incredible opportunity to improve my communication and networking skills.” |
“I would like to thank the Male Contraceptive Initiative for funding the expense of attending the conference, which has not only helped to broaden my knowledge and experience, but also to promote my own research and advance my academic career.”
- Haiqi Chen
“Our lab found that autophagy core protein ATG5 is required for normal male fertility, especially for the sperm individualization, acrosome formation and sperm structure development in mice. Many people were amazed and very interested in the abnormal sperm individualization caused by Atg5 knockout after I introduced them about my work. The major phenotypes in the mutant mice occurred in the later phase of spermatogenesis, indicating that ATG5 is a potential target for male contraceptives. Through the study and communication at this meeting, I have gained more understanding of the current research progress on male contraception.” |
“I was given the chance to present a talk at the “sperm-egg-communication” session, covering my data on TRPV4 in human sperm. Not only that I am highly honoured by this opportunity, I also received valuable input from other scientists in the sperm field, took part in a lively discussion afterwards and became internationally visible. My work was also acknowledged with a “Best International Abstract” award by the SSR, which I am especially proud of…Finally, I was able to make new connections and expand my scientific network, which will be advantageous for my postdoc application phase next year and brought up some ideas about what field and route might be right for me.” |
“The financial support offered by MCI allowed me to attend the Course Advanced Sequencing Technologies and Applications held at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (Long Island, NY) in November 2018. This intensive two-week course was focused on the study and understanding of massive parallel sequencing technologies essential for modern biology practices. In this regard, by taking the Advanced Sequencing Technologies and Applications course I learned the basis of sequencing methodologies, which provided me the essential tools for the design of proper experiments and the application of specific data analysis. The basis of novel technologies as RNA-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, ATAC-seq were instructed, as well as the detailed procedures for library construction and data analysis. Attending this course had a direct impact on my postdoctoral research work.”
- Maria Gracia Gervasi
“The greatest experience as a young scientist was the presentation of my own data. I was given the opportunity to give a poster presentation at the first poster session. During the session I received positive feedback concerning both my presentation and my data. I was able to discuss my data and network with a lot of PhD students and principal investigators. I might even start a cooperation with some of these labs.” |
“The opportunities and knowledge I gained through this conference helped revitalize my passion for reproductive health, and I am very blessed to have assistance from the Male Contraceptive Initiative to have attended ASRM. (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)” |
“I was able to present my own data. I was given the opportunity to give a flash-talk on the second day of the conference. After the session I received positive feedback concerning both my presentation and my data. I also promoted my poster during my flash talk. This way, a lot of scientists, both PhD students and principal investigators, attended my poster session. I was able to discuss my data and network with them. I might even start a cooperation with some of these labs.”
- Justine Fischoeder
“I express my sincere gratitude to the MCI for the opportunity to believe in the work that I did until now, the experience gained during this endeavor have not only deepened my passion for scientific inquiry but have also instilled in me a sense of purpose to make meaningful contributions to male contraception research. I'm almost totally sure that I want to dedicate my career to this important area of study, with the goal of contributing to the development of safe and effective male contraceptive methods.” |
“Thanks to the Male Contraceptive Initiative through the Trainee Success Program I had the opportunity to cross the Atlantic ocean and perform a one month stay in the Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Fertilization (Dr. P. Cuasnicu) of the Institute of Biology and Experimental Medicine (IBYME, Argentina). This stay was rewarding both on the academic and personal level…Overall, this stay has been a milestone for my thesis because the techniques and the knowledge I acquired there will allow me to carry out the experiments that, I hope, will highlight the human oocyte receptor of CRISP2.” |
- “The opportunity to explore this topic has been eye-opening. First, I have a better grasp of male reproductive autonomy like never before. This is a sensitive area in African Society and one that I enjoyed working on. Secondly, this project has challenged me to do more. Becoming a lawyer was always a dream based on doing good and upholding human rights and I believe I have found a niche. Not many legal professionals are interested in this, in fact I haven’t heard of lawyers fighting for reproductive health issues. I want to change that, and this has been the first step in the right direction. I would say my career has taken a completely different path, thanks to MCI’s Trainee Success Program... I wish to extend my gratitude to Male Contraceptive Initiative for unlocking this dream and hope that we walk this journey together. Reproductive health is a human right and should be treated as such.”
- Fidel Olexa Oyato
“I am very happy to receive this MCI Trainee Success Award to support my research stay. . .This will help me publish my research in international high impact journals, which will ultimately have a large impact on my future chances of securing competitive research grants and positions. Importantly, we are planning to implement this technique in my project on the discovery of novel non-steroidal CatSper inhibitors, which could form the basis of novel non-hormonal male contraceptives.” |
My experience in the three-month fellowship in Dr Darzson ́s Laboratory was overall very positive. I was able to use of the cutting-edge technology that the laboratory in the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has to offer. This fellowship really helped me in the development of my PhD project because I performed experiments that otherwise I would not be able to perform in Argentina due to the lack of the appropriate microscope…I believe that during my stay I generated many results that will help us understand such an important event in the fertilization process as it is the AR. Mouse sperm is an excellent model to study human sperm function and as such, I truly think that the results obtained in Mexico will enlighten the knowledge of the human sperm physiology so that a male contraceptive agent could be developed.” |
- “I want to say thank you to the Male Contraceptive Initiative for assisting me the opportunity to learn and network with well-known scientists, physicians, and health care professionals during the 2018 ASRM Congress & Expo. I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I cannot wait to see where this path takes me.”
- Krista M. Symosko
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“I attended the annual meeting of British Andrology Society on 20th September 2019 in London. I was invited to give an oral presentation on the Effect of low affinity bromodomain inhibitor N,N- Dimethylacetamide (DMA) on spermatogenesis…For the concluding ceremony of the meeting, I also received the Iwan Lewis-Jones Young Scientist award for best oral presentation. This boosted up my confidence. I am grateful to the Male contraceptive initiative who provided me a travel grant to attend the Annual meeting of British Andrology Society and I look forward to further support.” |
Applicants are encouraged to contact grants@malecontraceptive.org for questions regarding eligibility.
MCI Grantees & Fellows
MCI Team
Staff
Board
Not pictured: Carolyn Jenkins
Events & Conferences
MCI's Inaugural Ideation Event
YTH Live 2019
American Society of Andrology 2019
Frontiers in Reproduction
International Conference on Family Planning - Rwanda
Completed Awards
MCI has provided funding support to the non-hormonal, reversible male contraception research community since 2017. In this section, we share details about our past awardees who have completed the projects that MCI supported. Please click on any of the images to be directed to each awardee's profile page in order to learn more.
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MCI Grantees
In this section we share a collection of our current funding recipients, along with the lofty hypothetical realities that they are diligently working towards through their research and development efforts. Please click on any of the images to be directed to each awardee's profile page in order to learn more about their work that MCI is supporting.
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MCI Awardees
Entrelac.coop - 2023
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Entrelac.coopEntrelac.coop is a French Cooperative Society of Collective Interest promoting the development of the Androswitch, a wearable contraceptive device for men.
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Sacyl Pharmaceuticals - 2022
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Sacyl PharmaceuticalsSacyl Pharmaceuticals has a cadre of experts developing inhibitors of soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) as on-demand male and female contraceptives.
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Weill Cornell Medicine - 2022
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Weill Cornell MedicineThe joint Levin-Buck laboratory at Weill Cornell Medicine is working on inhibitors of soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) as on-demand male contraceptives.
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Yale University - 2021
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Yale UniversityDr. Jean-Ju Chung is an Associate Professor at Yale University, and is an expert in membrane ion channels, specifically the sperm-specific contraceptive target, CatSper.
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YourChoice Therapeutics - 2021
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YourChoice TherapeuticsDr. Nadja Mannowetz is the Chief Scientific Officer of YourChoice Therapeutics, who is working on a novel inhibitor of the male contraceptive target Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha. Entering first-in-human studies, they represent the forefront of male contraceptive research and development.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - 2021
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University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDr. Rahima Benhabbour is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studies novel delivery platforms and polymer-based devices that can solve current limitations in drug delivery.
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Baylor College of Medicine - 2021
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Baylor College of MedicineDr. Thomas Garcia is an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine where he studies spermatogenesis and male reproductive tract-specific proteins through the lens of functional genomics and proteomics.
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University of Minnesota - 2018 & 2021
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University of MinnesotaDr. Gunda Georg is a Regents Professor, Department Head, and Endowed Chair at the University of Minnesota. Her group has published over 200 scientific articles on the design, synthesis, and evaluation of biologically active agents such as male contraceptives.
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Contraline - 2019 & 2020
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ContralineKevin Eisenfrats is the CEO and Co-Founder of Contraline, who is developing a reversible, non-hormonal contraceptive option for men that can last years. With an investment from MCI, their medical device ADAM™ is entering first-in-human studies and moving towards regulatory approval.
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Eppin Pharma - 2019, 2020 & 2021
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Eppin PharmaDr. O'Rand is the CEO of Eppin Pharma, who is developing a non-hormonal method of male contraception that may be usable either on-demand or as a daily pill. Nearing first-in-human studies, they represent the forefront of pharmacologic, non-hormonal male contraceptive methods.
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The Jackson Laboratory - 2020
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The Jackson LaboratoryDr. Robert Braun is a Senior Advisor and Janeway Distinguished Chair at the Jackson Laboratory. His work focuses on the biological basis of development, and the use of mouse models to study fertility and contraception in innovative ways.
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Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental - 2020
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Instituto de Biologia y Medicina ExperimentalDr. Mariano Buffone is a Scientific Researcher from the National Research Council (CONICET) at Argentina’s Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET) in Buenos Aires. Mariano has been working in the field of sperm physiology for two decades, studying the complex process of mammalian sperm capacitation.
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Planned Parenthood North Central States - 2020
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Planned Parenthood North Central StatesAlison Ojanen-Goldsmith, MPH, Research Scientist and Manager, and Asha Hassan, MPH, Associate Research Manager and Reproductive Health Equity Predoctoral Fellow are part of Planned Parenthood North Central States and explore the attitudes and preferences of contraceptive technologies among users.
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University of Massachusetts, Amherst - 2020
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University of Massachusetts, AmherstDr. Pablo Visconti is a Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Focusing on reproductive biology and the process of sperm capacitation, his work elucidates the mechanism of action of many male contraceptive targets.
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Emory University - 2019 & 2022
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Emory UniversityDr. Steven L’Hernault is Professor and Chair of Biology and Emory University. Studying the basic mechanisms of spermatogenesis and fertility, he has discovered several contraceptive targets that can be developed for male methods.
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Completed Grants
Vibliome Therapeutics - 2017
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Vibliome TherapeuticsDr. Rob Goodwin is the CEO of Vibliome Therapeutics, a start-up that’s developing inhibitors of a kinase essential for male fertility. Vibliome was MCI’s first major grant, and has since brought in MCI Fellow Aaron Crapster to serve as a Principal Scientist.
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Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental - 2018
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Instituto de Biologia y Medicina ExperimentalDr. Patricia Cuasnicủ is a Senior Scientific Researcher from Argentina’s Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET) in Buenos Aires. Patricia has been working in the field of male contraception since 1984, and has been a leader in the field, serving with a World Health Organization Task Force, CONRAD, and other organizations.
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Monash University - 2018
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Monash UniversityDr. Sabatino Ventura is a Senior Lecturer at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Parkville, Australia, in Melbourne. Sab’s work focuses on smooth muscle contraction, and harnessing it in order to create a male contraceptive.
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University of Nevada, Reno - 2018
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University of Nevada, RenoDr. Wei Yan, formerly of University of Nevada, Reno, is Professor of Medicine at UCLA where he focuses on the development and function of germ cells. Dr. Yan has published over 130 peer-reviewed research articles, and discovered a novel plant extract that could be utilized as a male contraceptive.
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Revolution Contraceptives - 2019
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Revolution ContraceptivesDr. Linda Brent is the Executive Director of the Parsemus Foundation, and oversees the Vasalgel project run by Revolution Contraceptives. Their work seeks to bring a vas-occlusive, reversible method of contraception to users that could last for years.
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FHI 360 - 2019
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FHI 360FHI 360 is an international nonprofit working to improve the health and well-being of people in the United States and around the world. Their focus on contraception includes development and access, but also the assessment of the acceptability and preferences of a variety of methods of contraception.
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Wayne State University - 2019
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Wayne State UniversityDr. Zhibing Zhang is an Associate Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. His work focuses on studying the complex mechanisms of spermatogenesis, and how these mechanisms can be exploited to make new male contraceptives.
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Baylor College of Medicine - 2019
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Baylor College of MedicineDr. Stephen Palmer is an Associate Professor at the Center for Drug Discovery at Baylor College of Medicine. With 25 years experience across pharmaceutical discovery and start-ups, his work with Martin Matzuk uses powerful screening tools to find new drugs against male contraceptive targets.
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2022*
* On Friday, June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark piece of legislation that made access to an abortion a federal right in the United States. The decision dismantled 50 years of legal protection and paved the way for individual states to curtail or outright ban abortion rights.
2018
Recruitment for clinical trials of the hormonal male birth control gel NES/T begins.
2014
* Male Contraceptive Initiative was founded in an effort to provide funding and advocacy support for the research and development of new non-hormonal, reversible methods of male contraception.
1984
An estimated 50 to 80 million women worldwide take The Pill.
1982
The Pill's impact on women in the workforce is significant. With highly effective birth control now at their disposal, 60% of women of reproductive age are employed in America.
1968
Sales of the Pill hit the $150 million mark. American women can now select from 7 different brands.
David Niven and Deborah Kerr star in the Hollywood film Prudence and the Pill. Birth control, once considered obscene and vulgar, is now a pop culture icon.
David Niven and Deborah Kerr star in the Hollywood film Prudence and the Pill. Birth control, once considered obscene and vulgar, is now a pop culture icon.
1967
Over 12.5 million women worldwide are on the Pill.
1965*
* Just five years after the Pill's FDA approval, more than 6.5 million American women are taking oral contraceptives, making the Pill the most popular form of birth control in the U.S. Searle still dominates the market, and does $89 million in sales of Enovid.
The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Comstock laws that banned contraception.
The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Comstock laws that banned contraception.
1964
One quarter of all couples in America using birth control choose the Pill.
The Pill becomes the most popular form of reversible birth control in America.
Despite general public approval for birth control, ghosts of the Comstock Laws linger. Eight states still prohibit the sale of contraceptives, and laws in Massachusetts and Connecticut still prevent the dissemination of information about birth control.
The Pill becomes the most popular form of reversible birth control in America.
Despite general public approval for birth control, ghosts of the Comstock Laws linger. Eight states still prohibit the sale of contraceptives, and laws in Massachusetts and Connecticut still prevent the dissemination of information about birth control.
1963
Around 2.3 million American women on the Pill.
1962
1.2 million American women on the Pill.
1960s
Enovid is approved for the purposes of contraception by the FDA.
1959
Less than two years after FDA approval of Enovid for therapeutic purposes, an unusually large number of American women mysteriously develop severe menstrual disorders and ask their doctors for the drug. By late 1959, over half a million American women are taking Enovid, presumably for the "off-label" contraceptive purposes.
1957
The FDA approves the use of Enovid for the treatment of severe menstrual disorders and requires the drug label to carry the warning that Enovid will prevent ovulation.
1956*
* Enovid is the first birth control submitted for FDA approval in America.
1954
The Pill regimen still in use today is established for only 21 days, followed by a 7-day break to allow for menstruation. They know the Pill will be controversial and want oral progesterone to be seen as a "natural " process, not something that interferes with the normal menstrual cycle.
1953
* Katharine McCormick, millionaire philanthroper and heir to the International Harvester fortune writes Gregory Pincus a check for a huge sum -- $40,000 -- with assurances she will provide him with all the additional funding he will need. The Pill project is restarted.
1951
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America runs 200 birth control clinics. Margaret Sanger has been successful in fighting legal restrictions on contraceptives, and birth control has gained wide acceptance in America. Still, Sanger remains deeply unsatisfied, because women have no better methods for birth control than they did when she first envisioned "the pill" over 40 years earlier. Margaret Sanger manages to secure a tiny grant for Gregory Pincus from Planned Parenthood, and Pincus begins initial work on the use of hormones as a contraceptive at The Worcester Foundation. Pincus sets out to prove his hypothesis that injections of the hormone progesterone will inhibit ovulation and thus prevent pregnancy in his lab animals. Pincus goes to the drug company G.D. Searle and requests additional funding from them for the pill project. Searle's director of research tells Pincus that his previous work on an oral hormonal contraceptive for women was "a lamentable failure" and refuses to invest in the project.
1950s
Americans spend an estimated $200 million a year on contraceptives. Due to massive improvements over the past decade in condom quality and a growing awareness of the inadequacies of douches, "rubbers" are the most popular form of birth control on the market. Although the vast majority of doctors approve of birth control for the good of families, anti-birth control laws on the books in thirty states still prohibit or restrict the sale and advertisement of contraceptive devices. It is a felony in Massachusetts to "exhibit, sell, prescribe, provide, or give out information" about them. In Connecticut, it is a crime for a couple to use contraception.
1928
Almost 30 years after the discovery of hormones, scientists at the University of Rochester in New York identify progesterone, the ovarian hormone. They conclude that this hormone plays a crucial role in preparing the womb for and sustaining a pregnancy.
1923
Margaret Sanger successfully opens the first legal birth control clinic in the U.S. with the stated intent of only using contraceptives for medical purposes, such as the prevention of life-threatening pregnancies and in accordance with the Crane decision.
1921
Margaret Sanger establishes the American Birth Control League, the antecedent of the Planned Parent Federation of America.
In the 1920s, the U.S. birth rate drops by half. Condom reliability is still terrible by modern standards, but people achieved effective birth control by combining condoms, the rhythm method, male withdrawal, diaphragms, and/or intrauterine devices.
In the 1920s, the U.S. birth rate drops by half. Condom reliability is still terrible by modern standards, but people achieved effective birth control by combining condoms, the rhythm method, male withdrawal, diaphragms, and/or intrauterine devices.
1915
Anthony Comstock dies, but his anti-birth control laws remain entrenched. In New York City a group of women form the National Birth Control League, an antecedent of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
1914*
* Margaret Sanger coins the term "birth control" and dares to use the phrase in the June 1914 issue of her journal “The Woman Rebel” which outlines how to make and use contraceptives. For this crime and others, Sanger is indicted for nine violations of the Comstock Law. Rather than face the charges, she flees the country to continue her work in England.
1873
Congress passes the Comstock Law, an anti-obscenity act that specifically lists contraceptives as obscene material and outlaws the dissemination of them via the postal service or interstate commerce. At the time, the United States is the only western nation to enact laws criminalizing birth control.
1845-1872
The U.S. contraceptive industry flourishes. In addition to condoms (immediately known as "rubbers"), there's widespread sale and use of intrauterine devices, or IUDs, douching syringes, vaginal sponges, diaphragms and cervical caps (then called "womb veils"), and "male caps" that covered only the tip of the penis.
1844
Charles Goodyear patents vulcanization of rubber. Soon, rubber condoms are mass produced. Unlike modern condoms -- made to be used once and thrown away -- early condoms were washed, anointed with petroleum jelly, and put away in special wooden boxes for later reuse. British playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw called the rubber condom the "greatest invention of the nineteenth century."
1838
A German doctor, Friedrich Wilde, offers patients a small cervical cap to cover the cervix between menstrual periods. This method is never widely adopted, but the "Wilde Cap," as it became known, is the precursor to the modern diaphragm.
1827
In a major scientific breakthrough, scientists discover the existence of the female egg -- the ovum. Prior to this, it is only known that semen must enter the female body for conception to occur. This is the first step in understanding the science of human reproduction.
1734
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova begins his amorous career, and is among the first to use condoms to prevent pregnancy. Said to prefer condoms made from lamb intestine -- still the preferred material for natural gut condoms -- he also used linen condoms tied off with a ribbon.
600 B.C.
Greek colonists in North Africa discover Silphion, reputedly the first oral contraceptive. Silphion was an herb -- thought to be a kind of giant fennel -- that grew only in the area now known as Libya. Despite heroic efforts, it could not be cultivated. Worth its weight in silver, silphion was harvested to extinction by 100 A.D.
3000 B.C.*
* The condom is invented in Egypt. Ancient drawings clearly depict men wearing condoms - sometimes made of material that may have been animal hide. It's not clear what they were made of -- or whether they were used for sex or ceremonial dress.
MCI's Impact
Male Contraceptive Initiative is committed to ensuring that every promising non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive target receives the funding and advocacy support it needs in order to be fully vetted and commercially viable to the greatest degree possible. Practically speaking, this means that we support potential next generation contraceptives that span the depth and breadth of the product development timeline.
Doing so is a necessary step to ensuring that no promising target gets left behind so to speak, but it also means that many of the targets we are supporting still have years of research and development work to be done before they are even ready to be tested in humans, let alone readily available at your local clinic or pharmacy. This reality can be discouraging for some people given how many decades we have already waited for new methods of contraceptives for sperm-producers.
In an effort to offset these feelings of discouragement, and to help illustrate just how important your continued support to MCI is, we created the snapshots below to share tangible outcomes that would otherwise not have been possible without our collective efforts:
Doing so is a necessary step to ensuring that no promising target gets left behind so to speak, but it also means that many of the targets we are supporting still have years of research and development work to be done before they are even ready to be tested in humans, let alone readily available at your local clinic or pharmacy. This reality can be discouraging for some people given how many decades we have already waited for new methods of contraceptives for sperm-producers.
In an effort to offset these feelings of discouragement, and to help illustrate just how important your continued support to MCI is, we created the snapshots below to share tangible outcomes that would otherwise not have been possible without our collective efforts:
Workshop Agendas
Workshops provide a rich environment for collaboration and ideation. This is particularly true when thinking through new products or services, as well as for improving existing ones. They are a way of working a bit differently as a group and moving beyond “design thinking” and into “design doing”. Here we suggest different ways of integrating the activities and games in workshop settings of varying length to illustrate how their collective utility can help unpack the complexity of male contraception research and development, and move beyond the abstract to the tangible in developing new male contraceptive products. We will update this section with new and different workshop agendas, and encourage you to reach out to us with any suggestions on what you would like to see featured here.
Workshops provide a rich environment for collaboration and ideation. This is particularly true when thinking through new products or services, as well as for improving existing ones. They are a way of working a bit differently as a group and moving beyond “design thinking” and into “design doing”. Here we suggest different ways of integrating the activities and games in workshop settings of varying length to illustrate how their collective utility can help unpack the complexity of male contraception research and development, and move beyond the abstract to the tangible in developing new male contraceptive products. We will update this section with new and different workshop agendas, and encourage you to reach out to us with any suggestions on what you would like to see featured here.
History of Contraception
Contraception, including male methods, is nothing new: humans have been developing products in an effort to prevent pregnancy for millenia. We collated the timeline below to highlight some of the key moments of contraception research and development throughout history. (Please note that the entries marked with an * indicate important milestones for the field).
3000 BC*
* The condom is invented in Egypt. Ancient drawings clearly depict men wearing condoms - sometimes made of material that may have been animal hide. It's not clear what they were made of -- or whether they were used for sex or ceremonial dress.
600 BC
Greek colonists in North Africa discover Silphion, reputedly the first oral contraceptive. Silphion was an herb -- thought to be a kind of giant fennel -- that grew only in the area now known as Libya. Despite heroic efforts, it could not be cultivated. Worth its weight in silver, silphion was harvested to extinction by 100 A.D.
1734
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova begins his amorous career, and is among the first to use condoms to prevent pregnancy. Said to prefer condoms made from lamb intestine -- still the preferred material for natural gut condoms -- he also used linen condoms tied off with a ribbon.
1827
In a major scientific breakthrough, scientists discover the existence of the female egg -- the ovum. Prior to this, it is only known that semen must enter the female body for conception to occur. This is the first step in understanding the science of human reproduction.
1838
A German doctor, Friedrich Wilde, offers patients a small cervical cap to cover the cervix between menstrual periods. This method is never widely adopted, but the "Wilde Cap," as it became known, is the precursor to the modern diaphragm.
1844
Charles Goodyear patents vulcanization of rubber. Soon, rubber condoms are mass produced. Unlike modern condoms -- made to be used once and thrown away -- early condoms were washed, anointed with petroleum jelly, and put away in special wooden boxes for later reuse. British playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw called the rubber condom the "greatest invention of the nineteenth century."
1845-1873
The U.S. contraceptive industry flourishes. In addition to condoms (immediately known as "rubbers"), there's widespread sale and use of intrauterine devices, or IUDs, douching syringes, vaginal sponges, diaphragms and cervical caps (then called "womb veils"), and "male caps" that covered only the tip of the penis.
1873
Congress passes the Comstock Law, an anti-obscenity act that specifically lists contraceptives as obscene material and outlaws the dissemination of them via the postal service or interstate commerce. At the time, the United States is the only western nation to enact laws criminalizing birth control.
1914*
* Margaret Sanger coins the term "birth control" and dares to use the phrase in the June 1914 issue of her journal “The Woman Rebel” which outlines how to make and use contraceptives. For this crime and others, Sanger is indicted for nine violations of the Comstock Law. Rather than face the charges, she flees the country to continue her work in England.
1915
Anthony Comstock dies, but his anti-birth control laws remain entrenched. In New York City a group of women form the National Birth Control League, an antecedent of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
1921
Margaret Sanger establishes the American Birth Control League, the antecedent of the Planned Parent Federation of America.
In the 1920s, the U.S. birth rate drops by half. Condom reliability is still terrible by modern standards, but people achieved effective birth control by combining condoms, the rhythm method, male withdrawal, diaphragms, and/or intrauterine devices.
In the 1920s, the U.S. birth rate drops by half. Condom reliability is still terrible by modern standards, but people achieved effective birth control by combining condoms, the rhythm method, male withdrawal, diaphragms, and/or intrauterine devices.
1923
Margaret Sanger successfully opens the first legal birth control clinic in the U.S. with the stated intent of only using contraceptives for medical purposes, such as the prevention of life-threatening pregnancies and in accordance with the Crane decision.
1928
Almost 30 years after the discovery of hormones, scientists at the University of Rochester in New York identify progesterone, the ovarian hormone. They conclude that this hormone plays a crucial role in preparing the womb for and sustaining a pregnancy.
1950s
Americans spend an estimated $200 million a year on contraceptives. Due to massive improvements over the past decade in condom quality and a growing awareness of the inadequacies of douches, "rubbers" are the most popular form of birth control on the market. Although the vast majority of doctors approve of birth control for the good of families, anti-birth control laws on the books in thirty states still prohibit or restrict the sale and advertisement of contraceptive devices. It is a felony in Massachusetts to "exhibit, sell, prescribe, provide, or give out information" about them. In Connecticut, it is a crime for a couple to use contraception.
1951
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America runs 200 birth control clinics. Margaret Sanger has been successful in fighting legal restrictions on contraceptives, and birth control has gained wide acceptance in America. Still, Sanger remains deeply unsatisfied, because women have no better methods for birth control than they did when she first envisioned "the pill" over 40 years earlier. Margaret Sanger manages to secure a tiny grant for Gregory Pincus from Planned Parenthood, and Pincus begins initial work on the use of hormones as a contraceptive at The Worcester Foundation. Pincus sets out to prove his hypothesis that injections of the hormone progesterone will inhibit ovulation and thus prevent pregnancy in his lab animals. Pincus goes to the drug company G.D. Searle and requests additional funding from them for the pill project. Searle's director of research tells Pincus that his previous work on an oral hormonal contraceptive for women was "a lamentable failure" and refuses to invest in the project.
1953*
* Katharine McCormick, millionaire philanthroper and heir to the International Harvester fortune writes Gregory Pincus a check for a huge sum -- $40,000 -- with assurances she will provide him with all the additional funding he will need. The Pill project is restarted.
1954
The Pill regimen still in use today is established for only 21 days, followed by a 7-day break to allow for menstruation. They know the Pill will be controversial and want oral progesterone to be seen as a "natural " process, not something that interferes with the normal menstrual cycle.
1956*
* Enovid is the first birth control submitted for FDA approval in America.
1957
The FDA approves the use of Enovid for the treatment of severe menstrual disorders and requires the drug label to carry the warning that Enovid will prevent ovulation.
1959
Less than two years after FDA approval of Enovid for therapeutic purposes, an unusually large number of American women mysteriously develop severe menstrual disorders and ask their doctors for the drug. By late 1959, over half a million American women are taking Enovid, presumably for the "off-label" contraceptive purposes.
1960s
Enovid is approved for the purposes of contraception by the FDA.
1962
1.2 million American women on the Pill.
1963
Around 2.3 million American women on the Pill.
1964
One quarter of all couples in America using birth control choose the Pill.
The Pill becomes the most popular form of reversible birth control in America.
Despite general public approval for birth control, ghosts of the Comstock Laws linger. Eight states still prohibit the sale of contraceptives, and laws in Massachusetts and Connecticut still prevent the dissemination of information about birth control.
The Pill becomes the most popular form of reversible birth control in America.
Despite general public approval for birth control, ghosts of the Comstock Laws linger. Eight states still prohibit the sale of contraceptives, and laws in Massachusetts and Connecticut still prevent the dissemination of information about birth control.
1965*
* Just five years after the Pill's FDA approval, more than 6.5 million American women are taking oral contraceptives, making the Pill the most popular form of birth control in the U.S. Searle still dominates the market, and does $89 million in sales of Enovid.
The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Comstock laws that banned contraception.
The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Comstock laws that banned contraception.
1967
Over 12.5 million women worldwide are on the Pill.
1968
Sales of the Pill hit the $150 million mark. American women can now select from 7 different brands.
David Niven and Deborah Kerr star in the Hollywood film Prudence and the Pill. Birth control, once considered obscene and vulgar, is now a pop culture icon.
David Niven and Deborah Kerr star in the Hollywood film Prudence and the Pill. Birth control, once considered obscene and vulgar, is now a pop culture icon.
1982
The Pill's impact on women in the workforce is significant. With highly effective birth control now at their disposal, 60% of women of reproductive age are employed in America.
1984
An estimated 50 to 80 million women worldwide take the Pill.
2014*
* Male Contraceptive Initiative was founded in an effort to provide funding and advocacy support for the research and development of new non-hormonal, reversible methods of male contraception.
