When It Comes to Permanent Birth Control, Both Men and Women Want to Avoid the Knife

New Video from the Makers of Essure® Helps Show Why Men Don’t Want to “Man Up” for Vasectomies

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Who should be responsible for birth control is an age-old battle of the sexes. One point couples can agree on, however, is that neither wants to have surgery.

Essure Insert (Photo: Business Wire)

Conceptus Inc. (NASDAQ: CPTS), developer of the Essure® procedure, a non-surgical permanent birth control option for women, today announced the launch of a video campaign that uses humor to help illustrate why men are often reluctant to get a vasectomy. The video, which depicts a handful of men watching footage of an actual vasectomy shows that there is an unease about surgery “down there” as well as a clear lack of awareness about the vasectomy procedure itself.

“The men’s reactions in the video didn’t surprise me at all. My patients, and even more so, their husbands, are very reluctant to undergo surgery as a birth control method,” says Dr. Cindy Basinski, OB/GYN. “That’s why Essure is such a great solution for couples whose families are complete. I perform the Essure procedure right in my office in less than 10 minutes, and women are usually back to their normal routine that same day. Everybody is happy that there is a non-surgical, hormone-free option that both husbands and wives can get behind.”

The timing of the video coincides with a seasonal peak in the number of vasectomies performed. The increase in vasectomies is largely due to men using the recovery time from the procedure as an opportunity to take a little time off work and enjoy the college basketball play-offs with a bag of frozen peas on their laps.

The Essure “Vasectomy Reactions” video was designed to create awareness among men and women that there is a permanent birth control method that does not require surgery, burning, general anesthesia, hormones or slowing down to recover. The Essure procedure, FDA approved since 2002, is 99.8% effective, making it the most effective form of permanent birth control on the market¹. During the 10-minute procedure, a physician places a soft, flexible insert into each fallopian tube. Because the inserts are placed through the natural pathways of the vagina and cervix, no incisions are necessary. Over the next three months, the body works with the inserts to form a natural barrier that prevents sperm from reaching the egg.

“We wanted a new way to reach both men and women about the subject of permanent birth control,” says Sam Trujillo, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Conceptus. “By creating this video, we hope to start conversations and inform couples about their birth control options.”

To view Essure’s video, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPk5mtLMv94.

About the Essure® Procedure

The Essure procedure, FDA approved since 2002 and CE mark approved since 2001, is the first permanent birth control method that can be performed in the comfort of a physician's office in less than 10 minutes (average hysteroscopic time) without hormones, cutting, burning or the risks associated with general anesthesia or tubal ligation. Soft, flexible inserts are placed in a woman's fallopian tubes through the cervix without incisions. The body then forms a natural barrier around and through the micro-inserts to prevent sperm from reaching the egg. Three months after the Essure procedure, a doctor is able to perform an Essure Confirmation Test to confirm that the patient may use Essure for contraception.

The Essure procedure is 99.8% effective based on four years of follow up with zero pregnancies reported in clinical trials, making it the most effective form of permanent birth control on the market. The procedure is covered by most insurance plans, and when it is performed in a doctor's office the cost to the patient may be as low as a simple co-pay. Essure has been proven and trusted by physicians since 2002, with nearly 500,000 women worldwide having undergone the Essure procedure.

About Conceptus, Inc.

Conceptus, Inc. is a leader in the design, development, and marketing of innovative solutions in women's healthcare. The Company manufactures and markets the Essure procedure. The Essure procedure is available in the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and the Middle East. The Company also promotes the GYNECARE THERMACHOICE® Uterine Balloon Therapy System by ETHICON™ Women's Health & Urology, a division of Ethicon, Inc., in U.S. OB/GYN physician offices.

Please visit www.essure.com for more information on the Essure procedure. Patients may call the Essure Information Center at 1-877-ESSURE-1 with questions or to find a physician in their area.

The Conceptus, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7961.

¹ Based on four years of clinical data

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6633383&lang=en

CC-2652 02Mar11F