The conversation around contraception has been a sticky one to navigate, especially in recent years. While birth control pills have always been an effective method of avoiding unwanted pregnancy, there’s been plenty of debate around the fact that the onus has solely been placed on women for millennia.
Aside from a condom, the opposing argument would perhaps be that there’s no effective form of male contraceptive – until now! Rebecca Weiss, a German design graduate is shaking things up in the best way possible thanks to her latest invention – the “Testicle Bath Contraception.”
The innovative device has a catchier name, which Weiss refers to as the “Coso.” It’s described as an ultrasound-based, reversible and hormone-free male contraceptive device that you can whip out at home – a “new way of male contraception.”
The device has already snagged the James Dyson Award, a prestigious international award that celebrates design and engineering, with Weiss set to progress to the final stage of the competition, reports News24.
So, just how does this contraception device work? Add a little water to the device, which you fill up until the indicated mark, which is also set in collaboration with a doctor, and is according to your testicle size. Once the water is heated to operating temperature, Coso is ready for the ultrasound treatment. Through this process, this incredible device is able to suppress spermatogenesis, which results in leaving the male temporarily infertile.
Weiss was inspired to create the device due to the lack of male contraceptive alternatives currently on the market. Along with this, she was diagnosed with cancer precursor cervix due to the pill, making this a no-no.
“When my partner and I were looking for an alternative method, we became aware of the lack of male contraceptives. The problem is not unique to me personally. It affects many others as well. This is also evident in the current growing public discussion about the lack of contraceptive alternatives,” she told Dyson Awards.
This new device may be the stepping stone for male contraception, something that Weiss hopes she will be able to raise funds for in order to progress her device to clinical trials.
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Picture: Rebecca Weiss Instagram