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Scientists Give Update On How Soon Male Contraceptive Pill Will Be Available

Scientists have given an update on how soon a male contraceptive pill will be available. 
Credit: Unsplash

Scientists have given an update on how soon a male contraceptive pill will be available. 

The medication passed its first round of human safety tests in 2019. 

However, the BBC report that doctors at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting said it could still be a decade before it is available to the general population.

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male contraception
Scientists have given an update on the progress of male contraception, with the last trial being held in 2019. Credit: Unsplash

Professor Christina Wang, from UCLA, told the publication: “Our results suggest that this pill, which combines two hormonal activities in one, will decrease sperm production, while preserving libido.” 

It’s thought that longer trials are needed to ensure the pill will work as birth control and the market demand could also hinder the production as major pharmaceutical companies need to get behind it to speed it up. 

Reportedly, the pill would be taken once daily and would temporarily block new sperm cells being created by hormones

Two years ago, the latest version of the male contraceptive pill had been tested by researchers at the University of Washington and LA BioMed.

The early phase of the trial involved a group of 40 men and the results were said to be ‘promising’. 

Beta-MNTDC is the proper name for the drugs that were used. Reportedly, 30 men took these tablets over a period of 28 days, while another ten took placebos. 

Hormone levels required to produce sperm was ‘significantly lower’ in men who had taken the tablets, than in those who had taken placebos. 

The BBC also reported that the trial passed all its safety checks and that there were few side effects reported, with those that were being mild. 

Two out of the 40 men said they had ‘mild erectile dysfunction,’ five said they had a ‘mildly decreased’ sex drive, but none stopped taking the pill and sexual activity was not decreased. 

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Written by Aimee Walker

Aimee is a senior content editor at IGV who specialises in finding the best original stories, trending topics and entertainment news. She graduated from Birmingham City University with a degree in Media and Communications.