New Contraceptive Technologies 2024: Investment in New Contraceptives for Women

While R&D for many global health issues is underfunded, the dearth of funding for contraceptive development stands out. Investment in health technology for effective contraception use in low- and middle-income countries—where the unmet need is greatest—was just US$64 million in 2018. (Investment in R&D for HIV/AIDS in those countries during the same period exceeded US$1.4 billion.) Research shows that 218 million women and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries—nearly one-fourth of the population in that age group—have an unmet need for contraception.

In the pipeline now: New forms of birth control that meet women’s needs

For some women, the issue is affordability or access. That must be addressed. But there are other issues that require different solutions. Our foundation has committed US$280 million per year from 2021 to 2030 to develop new and improved contraceptive technologies, support family planning programs that reflect the preferences of local communities, and enable women and girls to be in control of their own contraceptive care—where, when, and how they want it.

Through numerous surveys, we’ve learned that some women want longer-acting options. They want safe and reliable contraceptives that don’t require a medical visit or procedure to initiate or use. They want options they can control themselves. And many women also want a method that’s discreet because family planning is not always accepted by their communities, or even their partners.

Here are a few exciting contraceptive technologies that researchers are working on right now:

• A once-a-month pill.
  • This update to the hormonal contraceptive pill addresses one of its current shortcomings: that it must be taken every day to be effective. Making a new form of birth control that only needs to be taken once a month is trickier than it might sound, so researchers are working on new ways to ensure that the hormones are released over time.
• The micro-array patch.
  • This new contraceptive method is an entirely new kind. Picture something like a Band-Aid that a woman can stick onto her skin, but with micro-sized projections that go into the skin’s layers. The sticky part is removed, leaving the projections to dissolve and release hormones over several months. This method would be designed to be simple and safe to use at home, as well as discreet, since no patch remains on the skin.
• A six-month injectable.
  • Many women in low- and middle-income countries like injectable contraceptives, and studies have shown that women can successfully inject themselves at home. But many women find it problematic that the injections are effective for only three months and would prefer a longer duration. Researchers are working on injectable contraceptive for women that would last six months, halving the number of injections each year.