Addressing men's sexual and reproductive health through male contraception is essential to achieving SDG target 3.7 on Universal access to SRH, and not doing so sustains the sexual and reproductive risks and burdens that women must bear.
Key Findings
Background
Men's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has been neglected in global health policy despite being legally binding under international human rights instruments.
The right to health and other health-related human rights are described as 'legally binding commitments enshrined in international human rights instruments'
Policy makers have ratified these positions but 'little has been done to actualize men's sexual and reproductive health as an integral part of attaining these important global goals'
The paper characterizes men's SRH as a 'neglected topic' in the context of global development goals
Background
Failure to address men's SRH beyond supporting female partners perpetuates disproportionate reproductive risks and burdens on women.
The authors state that 'not addressing men's SRH over and above supporting their female partners sustains the sexual and reproductive risks and burdens that women must bear'
This imbalance is framed as a gender equity issue involving shared responsibility for prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV
The paper links male contraceptive access to promotion of 'health systems strengthening and gender equity'
Background
Several male contraceptive candidates are currently in advanced clinical trials, suggesting an expanded contraceptive method mix may be forthcoming.
The paper notes 'advances in contraceptive technology with several male contraceptive candidates in advanced clinical trials'
These advances are described as bolstering 'expectations for a broader contraceptive method mix including greater choice of male contraceptives'
Novel male contraceptive methods are discussed in terms of their potential spillover effects on global SRH
Results
Expanding male contraception is projected to increase awareness and investment in men's SRH and promote gender equity in reproductive responsibility.
A broader male contraceptive method mix 'would potentially increase awareness and investments in the men's SRH'
Anticipated benefits include promotion of 'health systems strengthening and gender equity including shared responsibility for prevention of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV'
The paper synthesizes published literature, research publications, reports, global policies, WHO IRIS documents, and technical documents to support these conclusions
Conclusions
Achieving SDG target 3.7 on Universal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health cannot be met without addressing men's SRH.
The authors explicitly state that 'the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.7 on Universal access to SRH cannot be met without addressing this neglected topic'
The paper is a review and synthesis drawing on sources from organizational repositories including the World Health Organization Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (IRIS)
A call is made to 'all stakeholders to invest in men's SRH' as a prerequisite for meeting global health targets
What This Means
This research suggests that men's sexual and reproductive health has been largely overlooked in global health policy, even though international agreements legally commit governments to addressing it. The authors reviewed published scientific literature, global policy documents, WHO reports, and other technical resources to examine how expanding contraceptive options for men could affect reproductive health outcomes worldwide. Their review found that the current lack of male contraceptive options places a disproportionate burden on women to manage pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV risk.
The paper highlights that several new male contraceptive methods are currently in advanced clinical testing, which could soon expand the range of options available beyond condoms and vasectomy. This research suggests that broader male contraceptive availability could promote greater shared responsibility between partners, reduce inequities in who bears the physical and social costs of contraception, and drive increased investment in men's health services more broadly.
Practically, the authors argue that global goals around universal access to reproductive health — specifically the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target 3.7 — cannot realistically be achieved unless men's reproductive health is treated as an equal priority alongside women's. The paper calls on health organizations, governments, and funders to invest in developing and expanding access to male contraceptive methods as a necessary step toward gender equity and better health outcomes for everyone.
Kidula N, Nguyen B, Habib N, Kiarie J. (2025). The impact of male contraception on global sexual and reproductive health and rights.. Contraception. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2025.110811