Pace Paw Print

Media Credit: vpul.upenn.edu Soon, this may not be the only form a birth control available to men.

After 40 years of research, the first male birth control may be available soon. A few years ago, a survey was given to assess how many males patients would take the primary responsibility in birth control by taking a pill. An alarming 66 percent of the men that participated in the survey thought that men should play a bigger role in the choice and use of hormonal contraception. With this researchers and scientists began formulating the first birth control pill. In the near future for the first time a reversible, safe, and effective pill may be available to men.

In one study the idea behind the development of the male contraceptive was to reduce the sperm count from nearly a million to zero. By using hormones in the same way that they are used in female contraceptives, this is possible. Male hormones such as testosterone, which helps maintain one's sexual drive and function, and progestin are used to turn off sperm production.

Like birth control for women, male birth control can be administered in the same ways if funding is sufficient. These methods of administration include a pill that is taken orally, a patch or gel that is applied to the skin, an injection that is given every three months, or an implant that is placed under the skin for twelve months at a time. Researchers believe that contraception that releases testosterone over a long period of time is safe and practical.

Some men that are used for this ongoing experiment shared the same side effects that they have had with the male contraceptive. Larry Setlow from Seattle received pills and injections and stated that he didn't have any noticeable side effects besides a little weight gain. He also didn't see a difference in mood. Another experimenter who took the hormonal contraceptive for over year didn't experience any problems with weight gain or acne. These side effects were present in earlier years when the development of male birth control first came about in the 1990s. Another person suffered from headaches and terrible night sweats. Like most medications, side effects vary with each individual person.

Another study is being conducted at King's College London and is taking a different approach to male birth control. Researchers have found that two drugs, one used for blood pressure and the other to treat psychotic disorders, can stop men from ejaculating when used together. This method, which will be in pill form is reversible and does not have any affect on hormones.

The Early Show medical contributor, Dr. Emily Senay informed viewers of The Early Show that instead of affecting hormones, these two drugs when used together inhibit a smooth muscle in the male reproductive tract that is responsible for ejaculations. This would cause ejaculations to be dry. However, all sensations would remain.

In addition this pill could be taken as soon as two hours before sexual intercourse and have a lasting effect up to 24 hours. There is no need to take this pill any more than two hours prior because it is an on need basis contraceptive. This is beneficial to men because they won't have to worry about taking a pill everyday or going to the doctor's office to get an injection every three months.

There has been much debate about this method of male contraceptives; primarily because claims are being made even though it is has not yet been tested on humans. This means that no side effects have been determined. All experiments for this method have been tested in laboratories on male tissue. These studies proved that the drugs are effective in inhibiting smooth muscle, yet it hasn't been tested to see how the human body will react to it.

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done. These drugs need to be put into a pill form so it can be used in clinical trials. From there the next steps will be to get males who are willing to volunteer to have this drug tested on them and to test the claims that have been made.

There is no word yet whether any of these research-based experiments will actually be Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, even though it appears that the chances are high. There is still more work and research to be done in order to ensure the safety of the men that will be using a hormonal contraceptive route for birth control. We will soon know in the near future on which direction the FDA will choose.

If approved, the choice will then be up to the male population. When asked in surveys, the majority of men were excited to even have an option of a hormone contraceptive that would be available to them. However, the men's decisions fell into three categories: they would take the hormone contraceptive, they wouldn't take it, or they would only take it if their partner forced them to. Overall, the response has been a large one. There have been nearly a thousand volunteers since the beginning of research since the 1990s from all over the world, including America, China, and Europe. Whether your choice is to take the pill or not, it can be expected to be on the market, if approved, within the next five years.

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