The most popular form of birth control are condoms and the contraceptive pill, in fact, more than three million women use the contraceptive pill in the UK.
There are a wide range of different contraceptive options available for women and here at Harrow Health Care, we offer intrauterine device fittings, barrier methods, oral contraceptive and injectable Depot preparations.
The only real choice for men is condoms, however, this could soon change, as a birth control pill for men has recently passed the initial human safety tests.
Researchers from LA BioMed and the University of Washington have tested the latest male contraceptive pill on 40 men and revealed at the Endocrine 2019 meeting in New Orleans that the initial ‘phase one’ safety tests looked promising.
Across 28 days of the study, 10 participants took a placebo pill, and 30 males took an experimental male pill, 11-beta-MNTDC.
Those taking the androgen-based drug had much lower levels of hormones required for sperm production compared with the placebo.
During the testing there were a few mild side effects reported; five men experienced a decrease in their sex drive (12.5 per cent), and two described mild erectile dysfunction (5 per cent).
Nevertheless, sexual activity was not decreased and no participant stopped taking the pill because of any side-effects and all passed safety tests.
Lead researcher, Professor Christina Wang said: “Our results suggest that this pill, which combines two hormonal activities in one, will decrease sperm production while preserving libido.
“But bigger, longer trials are needed to check if it would work well enough as a birth control.”
Allan Pacey, Professor of Andrology, at the University of Sheffield, said: “The development of a male birth control pill, or injection, has had a chequered history without much success so far and so it is good to see that new preparations are being tested.
“The key will be if there is enough pharmaceutical company interest to bring this product to market if their trials are successful.”
At the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting doctors were told it could still take a decade to bring it to market.
If you want more information and advice on the contraceptive services we have available at the moment, get in touch with Harrow Health Care and click here: https://bit.ly/2SlIzNP
