Dr. Amanda Wilson of De Montfort University in Leicester has announced that the contraceptive jab will be available in the UK within a year.

It is expected to change and possibly equalise reproductive control between men and women for the first time.

Journalist with the Irish Independent Mary Kenny joined Newstalk Breakfast to discuss what that could mean for couples.

"A lot of women will like the idea that men will share the responsibility for conception and contraception", she said.

"But some women may have reservations because some women may feel that it returns more power to men."

"It will be the man's right to choose, so to speak, and that that will deprive [women] of what they want to do."

When the contraceptive pill was introduced for women in the 1960s, it was considered revolutionary and has been lauded as a turning point for female empowerment.

"The expansion of a male vaccine, which is considered to be better than vasectomy because it can be reversed apparently, will perhaps change the metrics once again", said Ms Kenny.

Trust

According to her, this new development is likely to affect relationship dynamics too.

"Fertility is quite complex, because it's often about the power relationship between the couple since it takes two people, a man and a woman."

"It's very much about trust as well", she said.

"There've been some polls which indicate that many women wouldn't trust a man who said 'I've had the contraceptive jab', because they might just see it as a seduction ploy for heaven's sake."

"I mean, that has been known."

Family planning

The jab is expected to change the game with regards not only to contraception, but also conception itself.

"The pill, you see, it not only gave women the power of contraception, but it also to some extent gave women the power of conception", Ms Kenny explained.

"A woman might want a baby she might a baby, she might want a pregnancy."

"It's not too difficult to say 'well, look, I've forgot the pill', or even to forget it subconsciously. So the man has to sort of accept that reality as well."

Listen back to the full conversation here.