New Male Birth Control Shots Are Here!
Men now have better option to control their fertility. This is thanks to new birth control shots that showed promise to prevent pregnancy in their female partners.
More research is under way to perfect the combination of hormonal contraceptives to cut the risk of mild to moderate side effects, including depression and other mood disorders.
But the efficacy of the product is proven to prevent pregnancy. This is attested by Mario Philip Reyes Festin, MD, of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Festin said, “The study found it is possible to have a hormonal contraceptive for men that reduces the risk of unplanned pregnancies in the partners of men who use it.”
This new study was published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
The Study
The researchers invited 320 healthy men ages 18 to 45 to take part in the study. The men underwent testing to make sure they had a normal sperm count at the start of the study.
The men received injections of 200 milligrams of a long-acting progestogen called norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN) and 1,000 milligrams of a long-acting androgen called testosterone undecanoate (TU) for up to 26 weeks to suppress their sperm counts.
Once a participant’s sperm count was lowered to less than 1 million/ml in two consecutive tests, the couple was asked to rely on the injections for birth control. Once the participants stopped receiving the injections, they were monitored to see how quickly their sperm counts recovered.
Does It Prevent Pregancy?
The hormones were effective in reducing the sperm count to 1 million/ml or less within 24 weeks in 274 of the participants.
The researchers found that the contraceptive method was effective in nearly 96 percent of continuing users.
Researchers Still Working to Perfect Birth Control Shots
The research has suffered setbacks due to the rate of adverse events, particularly depression and other mood disorders.
Despite the adverse effects, more than 75 percent of participants reported being willing to use this method of contraception at the conclusion of the trial.
However, the researchers highlighted the need for more research to consider the efficacy and safety of the birth control for men.
Festin said, “Although the injections were effective in reducing the rate of pregnancy, the combination of hormones needs to be studied more to consider a good balance between efficacy and safety.”
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