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A Contraceptive Gel for Men Is About to Go on Trial

posted by Fnord666 on Thursday December 21 2017, @06:42AM   
from the if-you-build-it-they-will-come dept.

MrPlow writes:

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)

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Original Submission

• Re:Long term issues or not? Re:Long term issues or not? (Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday December 21 2017, @02:54PM (2 children)

  by DannyB (5839) on Thursday December 21 2017, @02:54PM (#612804) Journal

  Is there some study that suggest that men are more forgetful then women? Is it that women are just trained to take the pill every day so they become better at it?

  Apply the gel as part of some other routine that you simply WILL NOT forget. Like sex or jerking time every day. Or, if you already take any other regular daily medication, simply make it part of that. Or part of the morning shower, drugs, brush teeth, inject caffeine, etc ritual.

  --
  Young people won't believe you if you say you're older than Google. (born before 1998-09-03)

  Parent

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• ''Apply[...]as part of some other [daily]routine'' ''Apply[...]as part of some other [daily]routine'' (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @02:39AM (1 child)

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 22 2017, @02:39AM (#613084)

  I was thinking along similar lines.
  WRT the "trust by verify" thing, -she- applies the gel to him.
  I note that the effects on a gal's physiology of doing this (without gloves) would be a data point worth knowing.

  -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

  Parent

  • Re:''Apply[...]as part of some other [daily]routin (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday December 22 2017, @02:46PM

    by DannyB (5839) on Friday December 22 2017, @02:46PM (#613205) Journal

    Excellent Observation. Those hormones might have undesirable effects on a female.

    --
    Young people won't believe you if you say you're older than Google. (born before 1998-09-03)

    Parent