Researchers are reportedly making strides in their efforts to develop a reversible birth control gel for men.
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More Details On The Reversible Birth Control Gel For Men
According to CNN, researchers have been testing a “hormonal gel that men rub on their shoulders once daily.” With prolonged use, the gel is intended to block sperm production.
The product was reportedly developed by the National Institutes of Health in partnership with the Population Council non-profit. Furthermore, the gel utilizes Nestorone, which “suppresses the production of testosterone.” Meanwhile, the added testosterone maintains a healthy balance for the men “but not so much that they make enough sperm to get someone pregnant.”
The outlet adds that researchers have been “formulating and refining” the product since 2005. After a recent gel test, they reportedly believe “they got it right.”
The Gel Has Reportedly Been Studied In Human Trials
According to a June 2 report from the Endocrine Society, a recent trial included “222 men who completed at least three weeks of daily treatment with the contraceptive gel.” The men were reportedly between 18 and 50, per NBC News. Additionally, they applied the gel to their shoulder blades daily.
Then, by week 15 of the trial, 86% of the men showed sperm counts that were less than “1 million or fewer sperm per milliliter of semen.”
CNN notes that a healthy sperm count reportedly “ranges from about 15 million to 200 million sperm per milliliter of semen.”
The report adds that it took between “9 and 15 weeks” for the men’s sperm to be suppressed.
“A more rapid time to suppression may increase the attractiveness and acceptability of this drug to potential users,” senior researcher Diana Blithe, Ph.D., chief of the Contraceptive Development Program at the National Institutes of Health, stated in the report.
Nonetheless, Blithe has shared excitement about what the gel and researchers have accomplished thus far.
“We’ve been just really excited by the results. The combination seems to provide better, faster suppression than we expected,” she stated, per CNN. “I would say our expectation was that it would be similar to hormonal birth control pills. And I can just say that it’s much, much better than that.”
Here’s Why The Male Birth Control Gel May Be More Attractive Than Women’s Birth Control
According to CNN, women’s birth control methods carry a 7% failure rate. Meanwhile, condoms have a failure rate of 13%. The male birth control gel, however, would appear to have a higher chance of preventing failure and unwanted pregnancy.
If a man, whose sperm production is “fully suppressed,” missed a day of gel use, there would not be a high risk of pregnancy. This is because, despite the missed day, it would take “8 to 10 weeks for a man’s sperm count to recover to levels that would cause a pregnancy.”
Blithe has also noted that the men didn’t appear to suffer from mood swings or depression during the trial. However, CNN notes that it is possible for men to experience “dry or oily skin,” “increased or decreased libido,” and “hair growth or loss.”
Furthermore, the outlet reports that if one chose to stop using the gel, their sperm count would return to normal levels in about two or three months.
NBC News reports that researchers have now moved to testing the gel on male participants in monogamous relationships. The couples must use the gel as their only form of contraception. Additionally, they must only have sex once per month as the male’s sperm count continues to be monitored.
If, throughout the trial, the male’s sperm count remains low, it will be inferred that the chance of pregnancy is “slim.”
CNN adds that researchers are now waiting for the “FDA’s nod for a trial.” If approved, they’ll begin the final testing phase in 2025 with a wider range of couples in broader locations. This testing could reportedly take “another couple years.”
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