Science & technology | Out, dammed spot

A sound way towards reversible vasectomies

Researchers test a means to block—and neatly unblock—men’s reproductive ductwork

THE MOST reliable means of contraception for men—and one that cannot fail or be forgone in the heat of the moment—is a vasectomy. But the procedure is largely irreversible: it involves stopping the flow of sperm from the testes by cutting conduits known as the vas deferens and sealing them or tying them off. A reconnection, after a reconsideration, is no small task.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Tubular gels”

The Fed that failed

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