Birth control cream
Male hormonal contraceptive will be tested on humans in the spring of 2018
Natalia Pelezneva, Naked Science
Representatives of the American National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) said that the start of testing of a male hormonal contraceptive on volunteers is scheduled for April 2018. The study will last about four years. This was reported by the MIT Technology Review magazine.
The principle of operation of the contraceptive is based on the use of two hormones. One of them is the progestin Segesterone acetate, which is produced under the trade name "Nestoron". It is used in the treatment of endometriosis and as a component of female contraceptive implants. "Nestoron" reduces the level of testosterone in the testicles, therefore, the concentration of spermatozoa in the sperm also decreases. Testosterone in the ointment helps to restore the balance of hormones in the body. With the help of an earlier version of the drug, which consisted of two ointments, in 2012 it was possible to reduce the concentration of spermatozoa to one million per milliliter of sperm. At the same time, the concentration rate starts at 20 million per milliliter.
The new drug should be rubbed into the skin on the shoulder every day, the product dries within a minute. According to scientists, the effect of one dose lasts up to 72 hours. Even if the study participants accidentally miss one day, the ointment will continue to work, but you should not abuse this opportunity.
More than 400 couples from the USA, Great Britain, Italy, Sweden, Chile and Kenya agreed to participate in the study. Preparation for the tests will take four months: during this time, couples will use additional methods of contraception. When the sperm concentration reaches the desired level, the ointment will become the only contraceptive. The first stage of testing will last about a year.
Previously, researchers have successfully tested a male gel contraceptive on monkeys that blocks the vas deferens.
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