Male IUD: a contraceptive revolution under development

In France, for lack of a viable alternative, the vasectomy has the wind in its sails. This method of male contraception is permanent, or at least difficult to reverse.

To provide men, and from a stronger for heterosexual couples, another method of male contraception, a team of specialists has imagined and designed which could be similar to an IUD for men. Julie Prasivoravong, an andrologist at Lille University Hospital (North), has imagined a non-hormonal solution, as low-tech as possible, to mechanically block the passage of sperm into the penis. “ My ambition is to allow as many people as possible to have access to contraception. », she explains to our colleagues at Point (Source 1), which detail this innovation.

The specialist easily convinces Jessica Schiro, doctor in biomechanics and research project manager at CIC-IT, an Inserm laboratory based at Lille University Hospital, specializing in e-health and innovative health technologies.

For three years, both worked on several versions of a male contraceptive device, leading to STEOM.

It is based solely on a mechanical blocking principle, blocking the passage of sperm, and therefore fertilization. The device is reversible, without interaction with the hormonal system or libido. It can be installed quickly, “ by any trained physician » (urologists, andrologists, etc.) for a period of three years. “ This is done on an outpatient basis, in around fifteen minutes, via a small opening of one centimeter in the scrotum under local anesthesia, explains Julie Prasivoravong. No need for bandages or stitches, it closes by itself ; it is no more painful than installing an implant in women. Everything has been designed to be as simple and as hassle-free as possible. “, assures Jessica Schiro, cited by Le Point.

The innovation, patented in 2025, could hit the market within seven to ten years. Because this is the “snag”, numerous steps must be taken in order to refine its development and ensure both its safety and its effectiveness in real conditions. The first preclinical trials, on laboratory animals, are planned soon, starting in May 2026.