Top: The human vas deferens on high-resolution ultrasound. Bottom: Vasalgel in a dog vas deferens. Yep, that white spot is what the excitement is all about!

Once Vasalgel male contraceptive is available, how will the men who have it know that it's still in place? Of course the most important thing is the result -- zero sperm -- showing that it's working, and you can tell that with a semen test. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to see it, too? Enter ultrasound! Yes, an ultrasound scan -- the same kind commonly used in medical diagnosis -- can be used to confirm the presence of Vasalgel.

One of our scientific advisors was an author on an amazing 2009 paper that showed that the human vas deferens is visible, in beautiful detail, on ultrasound (Middleton WD et al 2009, "High-Resolution Sonography of the Normal Extrapelvic Vas Deferens," J Ultrasound Med 2009). (See the top photo at right.)

We wondered whether the same technique could be used to confirm the presence of Vasalgel in the canine vas deferens -- and yep, it can, as seen here. The section of vas is buried a little deeper in the dog, so you don't see the glorious detail, but it's enough to see that the Vasalgel is there, and how long a section.

This is good news -- this widely available technique should be usable to confirm the presence of Vasalgel in humans once human clinical trials begin, giving double assurance in addition to semen tests.

 

Parsemus Foundation rarely asks the many fans of Vasalgel to contribute money to the development of this new contraceptive option. Usually, it's enough that you spread the word about Vasalgel! But with expenses mounting in preparation for the first clinical trial, and discussions with social investors not yet underway, a funding gap loomed -- and this spring, we asked for your support.

And Vasalgel's supporters responded. This fundraising campaign raised more than $85,000, and covered almost two thirds of the cost to produce the batch of Vasalgel needed for the clinical trial.

We recognize everyone who donated prior to June 1 as an "early-stage supporter" of Vasalgel. Donors of $20+ received "I'm nuts about Vasalgel" stickers, and donors of $100+ also received the very last of the "No more monkeying around with contraception" stickers from the baboon study (if you should have received a sticker but didn't get one, please let us know).

And thanks again to the two Vasalgel supporters who each matched donations up to $5k -- a longtime fan in the Seattle area, and Damon Copeland of Tennessee.