Scientists invent first male contraceptive pill

[Blue]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...tive-pill.html

(To make it easier to read I had to many corrections to their text. Someone published without even the most basic of proofreading. They used no apostrophes and decided to start a new paragraph for every "sentence". I won't even get into their awful sentence structure. They left a few typos as well. I sure hope whoever released that at The Telegraph isn't responsible for the studies discussed.)

Until now all attempts to develop a male pill have failed with scientists working on a contraceptive jab for men given by doctors. But researchers in Israel have finally been able to create a oral pill that deactivates sperm before they reach the womb. And they've developed a version that means it only needs to be to be taken once every three months.

The breakthrough pill could be available in as little as three years, according to the scientist behind the discovery. Unlike the jab form of the male pill it doesn't use a combination of the male hormone testosterone and the female hormone progesterone to block pregnancy.

The scientist behind the male pill discovery has developed a tablet that removes a vital protein in sperm that is required for a woman to conceive. So while sperm still get through to the uterus they are unable to fertilise an egg. Using this approach, researchers believe they have a pill that is 100 pc effective at stopping pregnancy. Not only is it long lasting but it also has other pluses. There are no side effects as suffered by women who take the contraceptive pill. Men on the male equivalent hormone jabs, which are still undergoing trials report feelings of moodiness, depression and loss of sex drive.

Professor of Haim Breitbart of Israel's Bar-Ilan University, who has helped develop the pill said: Men don't cope well with side effects and having side effects would probably put many off wanting to take a pill. We've had none of those problems with our pill.

What we found is that by treating the mice with our molecule we can get sterility for a long period of time -in the lower dose, about one month, and in the higher dose we found three months of sterility.

The mice behaved nicely, They ate and had sex. All I can say is that we couldn't see any behavioural side-effects - all their sex behaviour was retained, which is a very important consideration for men. Human trials of the pill are due to start next year.

A big drawback against men being in control of fertility is the fear they would forget to take a pill. Polls have repeatedly shown wives and partners do not trust their men to remember to pop a pill every day. But now that problem has been solved. The new pill can be taken either once a month or once every three months. Professor Breitbart said: "I think most women would trust their man to remember once a month or once a quarter.

Breitbarts pill jams the sperm's chemical machinery that allows it to create a pregnancy. So while the sperm reaches the womb it dies away unable to fertilise the egg.

He said: We looked at a number of compounds that have no effect on male sex drive, but succeed in impairing the reproductive ability of the sperm. Because there are no hormonal side effect we believe that it will be fairly easy to get approval for this pill.

Professor Breitbat stunned the world of fertility science four years ago by revealing the commonly held belief that conception was immediate once sperm entered the womb. The research showed that sperm could survive for up to three days before fertilisation took place.

Professor Breitbart said: I then decided to turn my interest to see how to stop that process. I wanted to develop a form of male contraception that would be free of an intervention using hormones.

That is brilliant! Every 3 months?! I think I could probably trust a man to take something in a timeline like that. However, female (hormonal) contraceptive pills are MUCH more tedious. If you don't take them at the exact same time every freakin day things can go badly wrong. Even in the hands of the most trustworthy man I'd still always be worried he'd forget if he had to adhere to that strict schedule. Hormonal BC pills suck. I think women are more inspired to maintain the hassle because we hold the ultimate consequence. Even if that consequence is "only" light bleeding for having taken it a few hours late. (they are just that annoying.)

Anyway, this is a fantastic development. I hope it clears testing and reaches the market. We really do need more (and improved) solutions to contraception.

[Unspoken Demise]

Well this is certainly an interesting development. Im interested to hear the results of the human trials. Seems like a better choice in relationship. My only concern is if you decide you want your verility back, how long does it take? 3 months? A year?

[Blue]

Well they say 3 months but I suppose there needs to be more testing. The Depo-Provera shot (hormonal) for women is allegedly for 3 months but I've heard many women being unable to get pregnant when they were trying for up to a year with it. HORRIBLE stuff that Depo, but that's another story.

[Unspoken Demise]

No arguement from me. I hate that in many men's head the metality (at least in casual sex, not so much in a relationship) is that "well, she can use the pill, I dont care if she gets preganant (or, Im not the one who'll get preganant), im not wearing a stupid rubber!" This is one more (safer seeming) alternative for responsible men that care about the hormonal effects most BC have on women.

[robbieduncan]

I think it's a great advance. If I were in a committed relationship and didn't want kids I'd want double coverage. So both on pills would work fine. I simply don't trust a single form of contraception. All of them can fail so a backup is just good planning!

[Unspoken Demise]

I think it's a great advance. If I were in a committed relationship and didn't want kids I'd want double coverage. So both on pills would work fine. I simply don't trust a single form of contraception. All of them can fail so a backup is just good planning!

Simple curiosity, but if the human trial is tested on say 1000 men, and 100% of them over the course of a year, having unprotected sex 3 times a week with a woman with no BC on her end, are sterile, and unable to have children, would you still double up?

(Just curious, I feel the same way you do. I think I would still want to double up)

[iJH]

But if it proves out as unnecessary, that's a Hell of a price for the Woman to pay.

[robbieduncan]

Simple curiosity, but if the human trial is tested on say 1000 men, and 100% of them over the course of a year, having unprotected sex 3 times a week with a woman with no BC on her end, are sterile, and unable to have children, would you still double up?

(Just curious, I feel the same way you do. I think I would still want to double up)

In the amazingly unlikely chance of a 100% outcome I'd probably still double up yes. These pills are, most likely, only going to be 100% effective if taken exactly as prescribed. I'd rather protect against me forgetting by a day or two than not. I also doubt the ability of a trial to replicate every condition that the pills are likely to find themselves in (in terms of diet, physiology etc).

[anjinhamarota]

So they can't make a pill for women with no side effects and that only needs to be taken once every three months???

You men get everything easier...

[robbieduncan]

So they can't make a pill for women with no side effects and that only needs to be taken once every three months???

Womens and mens reproductive organs work in pretty different ways. It's taken them this long to come up with a pill for men at all...

[anjinhamarota]

Womens and mens reproductive organs work in pretty different ways. It's taken them this long to come up with a pill for men at all...

Actually one of the problems with the old attempts of the male pill is that men couldn't deal with the hormonal side effects. Bunch of wusses.

[robbieduncan]

Bunch of wusses.

That's us!

[Jaffa]

Womens and mens reproductive organs work in pretty different ways. It's taken them this long to come up with a pill for men at all...

Yep. The key problem with a male contraceptive pill is that our reproductive systems aren't designed to be basically shut down for a period of time before being restarted without an adverse affect on our fertility, so it's harder to develop a contraceptive that will do this for us safely and effectively.

With women (generally) a single egg is released once a month and this process is halted with pregnancy. With men (generally) millions of sperm are produced every day without a natural mechanism to stop it.

Anyway, an interesting development. We watch with interest.

[Blue]

As I understood it the hormonal male contraceptive pill worked by inhibiting sperm production via a synthetic testosterone, causing the body to stop natural production of it, and thus stop producing healthy sperm. However low (natural) testosterone in men can make sex physically impossible. Also the synthetic testosterone can cause acne and other somewhat undesirable effects.

Hormonal solutions are rife with problems in either gender. Something that can have a temporary effect on the necessary proteins in sperm is a remarkable idea. I really do hope it works out because this would be a fantastic addition to the options out there.

[Tomorrow]

Simple curiosity, but if the human trial is tested on say 1000 men, and 100% of them over the course of a year, having unprotected sex 3 times a week with a woman with no BC on her end, are sterile, and unable to have children, would you still double up?

The answer is very simple: consider the cost of failure.

Yeah, technically my vasectomy could grow back - my vas deferens could miraculously burst through four titanium clips, detach from four cauterized ends (that's a smell you never forget, right there), and grow back with wild abandon. The worst that happens is teh wife ends up pregnant and we have another child. Being that we're happily married, living in a house large enough for a second spawn, and given the very, very low odds of all that stuff spontaneously growing back - it's a chance I"m willing to take, in my case.

[maestro]

I agree with others, I really hope this works out. I would certainly use it.

It would wonderful indeed if they had a female pill without the terrible hormonal side affects.

[Queso]

It would wonderful indeed if they had a female pill without the terrible hormonal side affects.

Sorry ladies, couldn't resist

[anjinhamarota]

Sorry ladies, couldn't resist

*throws shoe*

[firestarter]

Of course, there's more to birth control politics than the simple 'women doesn't want kids, lazy man doesn't care if a woman gets pregnant, 'cos he doesn't have to live with the consequences'.

Men and women both deceive and lie, both are fallible. What about the situation where a woman SAYS she's on the pill, but actually sees you (the man) as a pretty good solution to her 'ticking body clock'?

What if you as a man are not a retard / socio economic group D or E - if you have some cash, it's going to make a pretty major difference to your life if a casual partner gets pregnant!

So yes, this seems like a great development to put the man in control of his own fertility, and I can definitely see a case for 'doubling up'.

[anjinhamarota]

^^ That is true but I know more men that dont care about contraception than women who would try to get pregnant on purpose.