A male birth control gel is now being tested
The University of Edinburgh has started trials of a new gel which acts as a male contraceptive.
The study is being led in the UK by Saint Mary’s Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the University of Edinburgh.
It is part of an international project funded by the US National Institute of Health and led by the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute and the University of Washington School of Medicine.
“Condoms and vasectomies are currently the only form of contraception available to men. Many women experience unacceptable side effects with their contraceptive method and so couples are looking for alternatives,” the researchers said.
The trial will see 450 couples relying on the hormone gel as their sole form of contraceptive for the next 12 months.
The gel is a mixture of progesterone and testosterone. The progesterone ‘switches off ‘sperm production in the testes and the testosterone compensates for the drop in testosterone that this causes.
One respondent said that he has been using the gel since February 2019 but only started to use it as the sole form of contraception in mid-June.
“One of the side-effects has been an increased sex drive,” he told the BBC, but any negative side-effects have been minimal.
“I have experienced no change in mood, I’ve got a few small spots on my back but they are already clearing up. I’ve put on maybe 1kg but that’s probably due to the beer, if I’m quite honest.”
New pill
Earlier this year, researchers in the USA announced that they were working on a new male birth control pill.
The pill passed tests of safety and tolerability when healthy men used it daily for a month, and it produced hormone responses consistent with effective contraception.
Study results indicate that the experimental male oral contraceptive decreased sperm production while preserving libido.
The pill is called 11-beta-methyl-19-nortestosterone dodecylcarbonate, or 11-beta-MNTDC.
It is a modified testosterone that has the combined actions of a male hormone (androgen) and a progesterone.
Read: A male birth control pill has just passed human safety tests
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