By Emmanuel Nduka
As scientists globally inch closer to launching male birth control pills, African healthcare professionals and social researchers say the continent’s male folks may not be ready, logistically or culturally to embrace them.
While women continue to carry the greater burden of contraception in heterosexual relationships, there is growing concern about how men can take on more responsibility for birth control. Beyond condom use, complete withdrawal before ejaculation, and vasectomy (which remains the only permanent male contraceptive option), no other male birth control method has gained widespread acceptance or availability.
Rodney Mudzanani, a professional nurse at Mankweng Hospital in Limpopo, believes pharmaceutical giants are simply not prioritising the development of male contraceptives.
“We are still far away from having male birth control pills. Developing male contraceptives is not a priority for big pharmaceutical companies,” he said, noting the existing male options.
“Vasectomy isn’t even offered in our public hospitals. Nurses aren’t trained to counsel men properly beyond condoms. Even if a pill was introduced, many men wouldn’t take it seriously,” he added.
Clinical research however supports Mudzanani’s concerns. As of 2025, no male birth control pills have passed global regulatory approval, though new options, including topical gels, pills, implants and hormonal injections, could enter the market before 2030, studies predict.
Despite this, a growing body of research across Africa suggests men can be active participants in family planning when supported. Heritage Times HT reports that a study archived in PubMed Central (PMC) reveals that among married men in Nigeria’s Imo and Ondo states, over 90 percent knew at least one contraceptive method, and many were using condoms or supporting their spouses’ use.
Using data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey across a retrospective cross-sectional study focusing on men aged 15-59, factors like age, education, counselling, and number of children played key roles in determining usage.
The PMC archives states that in parts of Nigeria and Uganda, cultural resistance persists, with around 20 percent of Nigerian men believing that contraception is strictly a woman’s responsibility, while 38 percent say it encourages female promiscuity. A similar sentiment was echoed in studies across Uganda, where men also feared contraceptive use could lead to infidelity.
“I don’t see reasons why someone would be scared of vasectomy especially when you are about 60 years of age, because by that time you must have had the number of children you wish to have. Such procedures can also be made available at a cheaper cost or even free. When it is free, a lot of people will actually subscribe to them,” Adewale Sule-Odu, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, declared in anticipation of the advent of male birth control pills.
Sila Mahada, a biochemistry and microbiology graduate from the University of Venda, South Africa, supports male contraceptives for fairness but is wary of long-term side effects.
“The pill should be reversible, safe, and not affect libido. But now everything is about profit, not health. What if it affects sperm or genes years later? I wouldn’t take it,” he said.
Tshimane Joseph Baloyi, a nurse at Netcare Unitas Hospital, said entrenched gender roles remain a major barrier. “Most men don’t want to talk about contraception. They think it’s a woman’s issue because women give birth. But I’d take the pill if it was safe and affordable. Why should it always be her responsibility?” he said.
All three agree that while a male contraceptive pill could redefine family planning dynamics, South Africa lacks the infrastructure, public health education, and cultural readiness for it to succeed.
UNICEF has warned that unless urgent steps are taken to manage population growth through voluntary family planning, the African continent risks exacerbating poverty, food insecurity, and healthcare shortfalls.
Unless government invests in awareness campaigns, training, and trust-building, the male birth control pill will likely remain just a distant possibility.
