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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: 2) by takyon on Thursday December 21 2017, @06:16PM
It would be interesting to see if artificial wombs are developed and proven to be *safer* than human wombs (when properly manufactured/etc.). Just look at this story:
How Racism May Cause Black Mothers To Suffer The Death Of Their Infants [npr.org]
Various, hard-to-quantify external factors like racism-induced stress could lead to premature birth. Miscarriage [wikipedia.org] has a huge list of potential risk factors. We could eliminate the uncertainty by using artificial wombs, and that could benefit women tremendously. But it also probably means that 2 Dads could have a genetic child (male or female) and bring it to term, without the involvement of a woman or possible legal ramifications of using a female surrogate (varies by country).
Suddenly, the "sacred feminine" is no longer sacred. It's industrialized. Like a factory that makes canned beans or yogurt. No more mystery, just a process.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]