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If you are considering vasectomy, then you may wish to reconsider it.
A contraceptive pill for men has been developed. Scientists who developed it say it is effective, safe and does not harm sex drive.
Experiments on the drug, dimethandrolone undecanoate or DMAU, were successful in the US. At least 83 men use the drug, seen as a major breakthrough in family planning, for one month.
London-based newspaper Daily Telegraph reported that the pill reduces testosterone hormone levels in the body. This interferes with the process of sperm production. This means there will be very little or no sperms during ejaculation.
The development follows a study titled “Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Effects of 28 Days of Oral Dimethandrolone Undecanoate in Healthy Men: A Prototype Male Pill”, published on March 18.
And the fact that the pill has no side effects as many contraceptive drugs for women do, makes it ideal.
“There was no significant change in mood,” the study reads in part.
More importantly, there was no significant change in sexual performance.
In the past, according to The Telegraph, attempts to make contraceptives for men have not been successful because male bodies react differently. The male body metabolises and clears hormones too quickly.
The pill combines activity of two hormones, testosterone and progestine.
The study which took one month at the University of Washington Medical Centre involved 83 men who completed the clinical trials out of the 100 selected. The men were aged between 18 and 50 years.
Reduced libido
Only nine subjects of the study reported reduced libido while eight complained of acne-irritable skin rash.
There were also cases of weight gain which the scientists noted was ‘mild’.
The pill had no effect on kidney and liver functions, unlike what was reported during trials for female contraception pill, which still faces challenges.
“Daily oral administration with food of DMAU for 28 days in young healthy men is well tolerated. The promising results support further development of DMAU as a single agent oral male contraceptive pill,” reads the study presented at this year’s Annual Andocrine Society meeting in Chicago.
The prescribed dosage is a 400 milligram of DMAU, taken as capsule or powder daily. In the trials, the dosage was split, with some taking 100,200 and the rest 400mg. The capsule was swallowed just like any other drug while the powder was mixed with food.
The researchers discovered that the drug suppresses testosterone hormone to castrate level. Testosterone is the hormone that dictates sexual development in men.
When this hormone is at ‘castrate level’ it means production of sperms cannot take place.
Dr Stephanie Page, the lead author of the study, said they wanted to develop a method of contraception that has minimal side effects.
“The only options currently available to men are vasectomy, condoms and coitus interruptus,” said Dr Page.
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