A new male birth control may be available in the future. There was recently a study done that showed that healthy men were able to tolerate the male birth control well. The male birth control pill is made up of modified androgen, testosterone and progesterone. Christina Wang is one of the study authors. She also works at Los Angeles Biomed Research Institute.
Christina stated that the birth control pill works by decreasing sperm production while preserving sex drive. The study involved 40 healthy men, and it took place at the University of Washington. Ten of the men received a placebo. Thirty of the men received a birth control pill.
Fourteen of the men received 200 milligrams of the drug, and 16 of the men received 400 milligrams of the drug. The results of the study showed that many of the men experienced a testosterone deficiency. However, the side effects of the drug were minimal. Some of the most commonly reported side effects include headache, acne and fatigue.
Stephanie Page is a medical doctor who works at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She said that the effects of low testosterone were minimal. Christina noted that the effects of the drug can be reversed after one stops taking it.
She said that it will take 60 to 90 days for the drug to affect sperm production. Therefore, 28 days is not enough time to measure the effects of this drug. Christina believes that larger studies will need to be done in the future. She thinks that the birth control pill will be available in about 10 years.
Christina said that most men will be open to taking the birth control pill. A report done in 2005 showed that 55 percent of men who are in stable relationships are open to taking a birth control pill.
