The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new standards to guide the development of male contraceptives, potentially offering Kenyan men more direct options for family planning. The methods aim to lower sperm production, prevent sperm from moving or fertilizing an egg, or stop sperm from being released during ejaculation. Researchers and drug manufacturers are working on three methods that could prevent pregnancy through different approaches. The new standards set out requirements for safety, effectiveness, reversibility, acceptability, and affordability.
The WHO standards were developed with input from experts, including Kenyan obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr. John Kinuthia, who heads research and programs at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Kinuthia served on the Target Product Profile Development Group, which held monthly meetings between January and December 2025 to help develop the standards for future male contraceptive methods. A key requirement in the standards is reversibility, meaning users should be able to stop using a method and have their normal fertility return.
The development of male contraceptives is linked to the need to broaden the choices available to both men and women in family planning, according to WHO. Pascale Allotey, head of WHO's department of sexual, reproductive, maternal, child, and adolescent health and ageing, emphasized that contraception should not be treated as a duty that falls on women alone. The goal is to provide men and women with a range of options that reflect what science and innovation can now offer.
The move could have implications for family planning in Kenya, where contraceptive use remains largely centered on women. According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), 57% of currently married women were using a modern contraceptive method, while 14% had an unmet need for family planning. The development of new male contraceptives could provide couples with additional ways of preventing unwanted pregnancies.
The WHO standards are intended to guide the work needed to bring male contraceptives from development to possible use. The first products could become available within five to 10 years, according to WHO. The standards form key requirements, including safety, effectiveness, reversibility, affordability, and acceptability. Researchers and manufacturers must consider these factors when developing the next generation of male contraceptives.
The new male contraceptives could give men more options to participate directly in family planning decisions. WHO has emphasized that choice is a gender equality issue, and men and women both need a range of options that reflect what science and innovation can now offer. The development of male contraceptives could also help address the unmet need for family planning in Kenya.
The WHO report, "Target product profiles for development of novel male contraceptive methods," outlines the requirements for the development of male contraceptives. The organization has linked the development of male contraceptives to the need to broaden the choices available to both men and women in family planning. The move is expected to have a positive impact on family planning in Kenya and other countries.
Key points
- The WHO standards require male contraceptives to be safe, effective, reversible, acceptable to users, and affordable.
- The development of male contraceptives could provide couples with additional ways of preventing unwanted pregnancies.
- The first male contraceptives could become available within five to 10 years.
