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from the if-you-build-it-they-will-come dept.
Submitted via IRC for AndyTheAbsurd
After more than a decade of work, government researchers in the U.S. are ready to test an unusual birth control method for men—a topical gel that could prevent the production of sperm.
And no, gentlemen, you don't rub it on your genitals.
The clinical trial, which begins in April and will run for about four years, will be the largest effort in the U.S. to test a hormonal form of birth control for men.
[...] The new gel contains two synthetic hormones, progestin and testosterone. Progestin blocks the testes from making enough testosterone to produce normal levels of sperm. The replacement testosterone is needed to counteract the hormone imbalances the progestin causes but won't make the body produce sperm.
[...] The gel can suppress sperm levels for about 72 hours, so if men forget a dose, "there is a bit of forgiveness," says Régine Sitruk-Ware, distinguished scientist at the Population Council, a nonprofit for reproductive health that is sponsoring the trial alongside the NIH.
[...] Even if the trial is successful, Blithe says it will likely be several years before the gel would be available to the public.
Source: A Contraceptive Gel for Men Is About to Go on Trial (archive)
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Thursday December 21 2017, @12:28PM (1 child)
Trust but verify? Just get that sperm count checked before every intercourse.
It would take a real scoundrel to pull that. The woman does bare the immediate burden of carrying a child, but the man has to face the cold reality of child support unless he pulls a disappearing act, which is difficult for most people. Given the imbalance there, he might need some crazier motive to overcome that, like a strong desire to impregnate (claim) as many women as possible no matter what the consequences.
Most of the birth control options for women are damaging to their health:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/health/birth-control-breast-cancer-hormones.html [nytimes.com]
So now men can get in on that hotness by taking hormones.
The test setting is just the current setting. Once it gets out into the real world, skank seekers will get a taste of it.
Wouldn't read too much into that. The bottom line is that women sometimes forget to take the pill, and men will certainly sometimes forget to use the gel.
The gel's formula adds testosterone to counteract the effects of progestin which reduces testosterone. While that might sound like a good thing, it just proves that there is a balancing act that could easily fuck you up with hormonal issues (remember that the article concedes that you will be making less T after using the gel). And as you will see from the spoiler link above, there is a better way that does not involve hormones.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday December 21 2017, @11:02PM
Like in: 'wank and count' as an interlude? Too kinky, not for me.
Kinky again. My experience says the woman will bare her genitals before having sex (at least). But, yeah, whatever floats your boat, I s'ppose.
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0