A Male Contraceptive Pill May Be Coming Soon

Work on a male contraceptive pill seems to have reached a breakthrough after a recent trial was successful. Trials are being performed at the University of Washington in Seattle and have shown a once-daily capsule appeared to work with no significant side-effects. The way that it works is by suppressing levels of hormones that drive the production of sperm and testosterone in the testes.

The trials were conducted over a month-long study and the doctors found that levels of the hormones required for sperm production fell in men who took the daily capsule, suggesting their sperm counts had been markedly reduced. The next step will be to confirm the fall and determine if it is sufficient. Although the results of the trials appear to be promising, the bad news is that it could take up to 10 years before it is made available on the market.

The preliminary study was to look at the safety of the pill with the 40 male participants and soon a more long-term study will be taking place to confirm if their sperm levels continue to decline and if it can be sustainable. So far, the team conducting the research have discovered that it would take the pill at least 60-90 days to affect sperm production.

The participants did also report side effects from taking the pill which included fatigue, acne and headaches, with five men also reporting a mildly decreased sex drive and two men describing mild erectile dysfunction. Despite the side effects, the results of this study are considered a medical breakthrough that will potentially create a new contraception alternative for men. Current options such as condoms or a vasectomy are not deemed adequate by most men surveyed.

Stephanie Page, an investigator on the University of Washington trial, said: “The goal is to expand contraceptive options and create a menu of choices for men like we have for women. Men have really limited options when it comes to reversible contraception. We are neglecting a major potential user population with the limited options currently available to men.”

A survey on the study also revealed that 50% of the men asked said they would be willing to give this new method a try with over 70% of their partners also willing!