Research has shown that men in committed relationships are
very interested in “owning” contraception. But when it comes to options, the
roster of effective methods is pretty limited right now: abstinence, condoms,
and vasectomy (there’s also rhythm method or withdrawal, but I don’t think
you’d want to rely on either of these). Given this lineup, there is certainly
room for some kind of pill. Yet after half a century and millions of dollars of
research, there’s still no pill for men.
So, what’s the hold up?
We know how to interfere with the production of sperm – male
hormone supplements will tell the body’s natural testosterone (made by the
testicle) to turn off, halting sperm production. Based on this idea, pills have
been formulated as hormonal contraceptives, and have worked… but not perfectly.
In studies, most of the men have zero sperm counts after taking the pill, but
not all men. And, in the world of male contraceptives, with choices like
vasectomy in tow, it is a zero-tolerance game. The ejaculate must be free of
sperm.
There is also a litany of concern regarding the side effects
of hormone-based male pills. In clinical trials, men have experienced effects
like acne, weight gain, moodiness, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and
fatigue. Having significant sexual side effects from a pill that aims to take
the worry out of sex kind of defeats the purpose a bit, wouldn't you say?
Taking a longer view, are there other issues that occur over time? While we
know that the female contraceptive pill has been linked to higher rates of
heart disease and breast and cervical cancer in women, to date there is little
to no research on what issues might surface with long term male contraceptive
pill use.
Despite all of this, there is still a healthy interest in a
male birth control pill – and researchers’ efforts are showing some hope. A
recent clinical trial of a hormonal pill for men completely shut down
testosterone levels and was pretty well tolerated. Since sperm production was
not studied, we’re still not sure it will work, but it shows promise.
A male pill is likely not for every man, but could be a
smart alternative for many of us.
(Web MD)
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