Chinese researchers have tested a new male contraceptive which proves to be almost 100% effective.
A study included 1,000 men who were given monthly 500 milligram injections of testosterone undecanoate (TU) in tea seed oil over a period of two and a half years.
After the injections, just one in 100 men had a child.
No serious side effects were reported and the men's fertility returned to normal in all but two participants after the treatment was stopped.
Testosterone injections lead to a reduction in levels of two regulatory brain chemicals, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH).
This in turn disrupts sperm production, but the effect is reversible.
Sperm counts return to normal four to six months after the injections are halted.
Results from the trial, the largest effectiveness study of a testosterone-based male contraceptive ever undertaken, will appear in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
"For couples who cannot, or prefer not to use only female-oriented contraception, options have been limited to vasectomy, condom and withdrawal," Dr Yi-Qun Gu, from the National Research for Family Planning in Beijing said. "Our study shows a male hormonal contraceptive regimen may be a potential, novel and workable alternative.... Despite the present encouraging results, the long-term safety of this hormonal male contraceptive regimen requires more extensive testing with a focus on cardiovascular, prostate and behavioural safety."
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1 comments:
I'd hate to be the 1 out of 100 that had a kid behind this even after losing some hair.
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