Until now, the only male contraceptive methods were condoms and surgical vasectomy. But in recent years the possibility of developing a contraceptive pill for men has sounded strong. This week the results of a study that has been released at the annual meeting of the North American Endocrine Society (ENDO 2022) have been presented, in which it is reflected that two new contraceptive pills have been shown to be effective in men, so The time could be near when they are the ones who control their birth rate through medication, in an effective and reversible way.
These experimental drugs, called DMAU and 11beta-MNTDC, belong to the group of drugs categorized as progestogen androgens, which are capable of suppressing testosterone in men, thus reducing their sperm and sperm counts, and therefore the chances of impregnate a woman.
In the work that has analyzed its effects, which has been published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, two trials were carried out in which 96 healthy men participated. In each trial, men were randomly given two or four oral pills of the drugs or placebo each day for 28 days.
Tolerable side effects of the male pill
The findings indicated that after taking the active drugs for seven days, testosterone levels fell below normal values, while those taking placebo continued to have their levels in the common range. In addition, those who took four pills – about 400 mg – had less testosterone than those who took two pills – 200 mg.
The development of an effective and reversible male contraceptive method will improve reproductive options and reduce unwanted pregnancies
Normally, the drop in testosterone levels usually causes unpleasant side effects, such as less interest in sexual relations, erection problems, loss of body hair or loss of strength or muscles. However, 75% of the men who took these contraceptive drugs stated that they would continue taking it in the future, as its effects were more than tolerable.
“The positive experiences of men in clinical trials and the high acceptability ratings of this male pill should serve to get the public excited about the possibility of male contraceptives becoming widely available in the coming decades. The development of an effective and reversible male contraceptive method will improve the reproductive options of men and women and will have a great impact on public health by reducing unwanted pregnancies”, explains Tamar Jacobsohn, principal investigator of the study.
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