Female-dependent methods of contraception have been the subject of considerable scientific advance since the introduction of the combined contraceptive pill, offering effective and male-independent contraception, but there is an emerging emphasis that men should be more involved in family planning. The supremacy of modern, female methods in the developed world obscures the fact that one-third of all couples worldwide rely on a male-dependent method of contraception, mostly the condom or withdrawal, methods that have been used since antiquity. Potential methods of male contraception include withdrawal of the gonadotrophic support to the testis, interference with spermatogenesis within the seminiferous tubules, or with post-testicular functions. Effects on maturation within the epididymis can be induced by chloro-6-deoxy sugars or plant-derived glycosides. Although advances in assisted conception, particularly associated with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), have demonstrated the functional competence of the nucleus and centriole of testicular spermatozoa and other less mature forms, it has been suggested that normal passage through the male reproductive tract is necessary for conventional conception. Advances in both testicular and post-testicular methods of contraception have been hampered by toxicity and remain in preclinical testing, reflecting the limited extent of (and thus the need for) scientific knowledge in this area. While progress in these areas is fully acknowledged, the pretesticular hormonal approach is currently at a considerably more advanced stage of development with prospects for a real product becoming increasingly likely on a realistic time-scale. This review will therefore confine itself to this, the hormonal approach.