Contents:
- Medical Video: Birth Control Pills
- Recent research has found compounds that can stop the sperm rate
- This one male contraceptive claimed no side effects
- Researchers continue to develop a choice of non-hormonal male contraceptive methods
Medical Video: Birth Control Pills
The choice of male contraceptives does tend to be less than women. Throughout history, condom use and vasectomy are the two most effective contraceptive choices for men compared to the outside ejaculation method and the pair's monthly calendar.
After more than 50 years of birth control pills successfully created for women, now researchers are developing birth control pills as male contraceptives that function to slow the sperm rate. He said, this birth control pill is also claimed to cause no side effects, so it is safe to use in the long term. So, how do these birth control pills work?
Recent research has found compounds that can stop the sperm rate
A study published in the journal PLOS ONE developed a special birth control pill for men using a chemical compound called EP055. This chemical compound is claimed to be able to slow down the sperm's rate so that it can reduce the possibility of egg fertilization.
In the study, researchers injected a chemical compound EP055 into low and high-dose male monkeys. After six hours of receiving a higher dose, the monkey's sperm's ability to move turned down by 20 percent. Even with low doses, the ability of sperm also decreases even though the effect is not like high doses.
Simply put, these compounds kill the ability of sperm to swim, thereby reducing the possibility of fertilization in the female egg. After 18 days of treatment, sperm monkeys are known to move normally. This means that the compound EP055 does not have a long-term effect on monkey fertility.
Although newly tested in animals, the researchers believe that this finding could be a breath of fresh air and a good first step in the development of non-hormonal male contraceptives.
This one male contraceptive claimed no side effects
Previously, many researchers had succeeded in offering various male contraceptives, such as surgical implants to reduce sperm count. However, this latest study is considered the safest because it does not cause long-term effects on male fertility. While based on the results of studies from previous studies known to cause side effects on male fertility.
Peter Stahl, a urologist at Columbia University Medical Center, said that researchers have repeatedly tried to reduce levels of hormones that play a role in the male reproductive system to reduce sperm count, one of which is testosterone.
Unfortunately, men with low testosterone levels actually experience a decrease in libido, depression, and changes in the number of red blood cells. In addition, the hormonal contraceptive method is also considered unable to protect a man from transmission of sexual diseases.
Researchers continue to develop a choice of non-hormonal male contraceptive methods
At present, researchers continue to develop several other options that can be used as non-hormonal contraceptive methods for men. For example topical gels that can be used every day as well as injection treatment that can stop sperm production for months.
In addition, researchers are also still developing EPPIN contraception. Eppin is a good protein in human spermatozoa that has important functions in primate reproduction and is thought to be able to block sperm movement.
