Male contraceptive proves 100 per cent effective
A trial in Australia of a male contraceptive injection has shown that it is 100 per cent effective.
In the study, 55 men received regular hormone injections over the course of a year.
None of the men showed any side effects and none of their partners became pregnant.
The men received an injection of progestin every three months to stop sperm production and also had testosterone implanted under the skin of their abdomen every four months, as progestin switches off testosterone production.
Scientists from Sydney’s ANZAC Research Institute and the Prince Henry Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne stated that the men’s normal fertility levels returned after a few months of the trial ending.
Professor David Handelsman, said: “It is now over to the companies to develop a convenient and acceptable product. We have proved that it is possible for them to do it.”
Previous attempts to develop an effective male contraceptive have encountered problems over reliability and side effects, such as mood swings and a lowered sex drive.
The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
