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Review
. 2025 Jun 26;13(7):692.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines13070692.

Advances in Contraceptive Vaccine Development: A Comprehensive Review

Wen Gao  1 , Xiaoting Shen  1 , Peipei Li  1 , Chanchan Xiao  2   3 , Yongxia Wang  1
Affiliations
Review

Advances in Contraceptive Vaccine Development: A Comprehensive Review

Wen Gao et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

The issues of uncontrolled global population growth and unintended pregnancies are severe, and the existing contraceptive methods have numerous limitations, making the development of novel contraceptive technologies urgent. Contraceptive vaccines offer a promising alternative to traditional contraception methods. This article reviews the three developmental stages of contraceptive vaccines, including early exploration, technical bottlenecks, and innovative development directions in the new era. This article also summarizes the targets of immunocontraception, covering the current research status of contraceptive vaccines targeting sperm production, sperm antigens, oocyte zona pellucida, and gamete outcomes. Furthermore, this article explores the advantages of contraceptive vaccines in terms of efficiency, non-invasiveness, reversibility, and the promotion of gender equality. Challenges associated with clinical translation and real-world implementation are also critically analyzed.

Keywords: contraceptive vaccines; gamete outcomes; immunocontraception; sperm antigens; sperm production; zona pellucida of oocytes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Figures were created by Figdraw (www.figdraw.com).

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic of early human reproductive processes and immunocontraceptive targets for vaccine design.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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