Scientists at the University of Minnesota have developed a male contraceptive pill which doesn’t harm test production, sidestepping side effects like weight gain and depression.
The non-hormonal contraceptive targets a protein which plays an important role in sperm formation, among other things.
The pill lasts approximately four to six weeks and normal sperm production returns when abstaining from the drug.
The pill blocks proteins from binding to vitamin A.
It was found to be 99% effective in mice and will now be tested in humans next year.
“Women have many choices for birth control, ranging from pills to patches to intrauterine devices, and partly as a result, they bear most of the burden of preventing pregnancy,” the researchers behind the work say in a press release. “But men’s birth control options—and, therefore, responsibilities—could soon be expanding.”
This is an important move as it expands responsibility for birth control and allowing men more range in options. It also increases how men are embedded into when their partners get pregnant.
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