My colleagues over at Bodyhack posted a note about another step forward in developing a male contraceptive pill, as reported by New Scientist.
I still think RISUG (a sort of "plug" that blocks the tubes that carry sperm, inserted once and lasting for years) is the direction to go – not that I am against researching other methods! – but it has come up against some obstacles in its final testing phases. Mainly political ones, it seems.
I remember someone telling me once that the U.S. was especially keen on slowing down RISUG's development because while it was incredibly safe and effective, it's not profitable. You pay for it once, and it lasts for years, and removal is easy. Whereas a hormonal pill has to be taken daily, paid for month after month, year after year, and is therefore much more profitable for its manufacturers.
MaleContraceptives.org has an interesting overview of various methods being researched that would give men more choices than condoms and vasectomies.
