Potential Breakthrough for MALE Birth Control Pill
A breakthrough in DNA research could lead to a reversible male contraceptive that works by causing temporary infertility. Scientists have discovered a gene that is responsible for normal sperm production in humans and other mammals. Blocking or deactivating it with drugs leads to a reduced sperm count, reduced movement and an abnormal shape, a new study has found.
But simply stopping the medication would allow the gene to reactivate and make the patient produce normal sperm again, experts suggest. It comes as US Government-funded researchers edge closer to developing a functional male contraceptive pill.
A team from Washington State University used laboratory mice to see whether deactivating the Arrdc5 gene would affect their fertility. Analysis revealed these mice produced 28 percent less sperm than their normal counterparts, and that the majority of this sperm was damaged and moved nearly three times slower.
Having a male contraceptive that does not rely on hormones is important because testosterone plays other roles beyond sperm production in men, the researchers said. While other male contraceptives are currently being tested, the only options available at the moment are a vasectomy or condoms.
Earlier this year, separate scientists announced they had found an equivalent of the male contraceptive pill that could be taken half an hour before sex. Used in mice, the treatment prevented 100 percent of pregnancies over around two hours by stopping sperm swimming towards eggs, or maturing so that it is able to fertilize an egg to create a baby.
The researchers, from Cornell University in New York, said they hope it could be used by men, last for 16 hours and then wear off the next day.
