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British and Australian scientists have discovered two proteins that, if blocked, can prevent sperm cells from being released. It's thought possible any drugs that suppress the proteins could be 100% effective, without impacting the man's sex life.
The researchers, in a report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, state that "results suggest that this autonomic method of male contraception appears free of major physiological and behavioral side effects. In addition, they provide conclusive proof of concept that pharmacological antagonism of the P2X1-purinoceptor and α1A-adrenoceptor provides a safe and effective therapeutic target for a nonhormonal, readily reversible male contraceptive."
However, as pointed out by BBC, it could take almost a decade to develop the 'male pill'. While medicines that suppress one of the proteins are said to already exist for other purposes, scientists have yet to develop a way of suppressing the other. There could also be possible side effects, such as changes in blood pressure or heart rate, that need to be addressed before such a treatment is ready for use.
Research on a male pill has proven challenging, as stopping millions of sperm reliably is a significantly more difficult task than stopping a single female egg. Such a contraceptive would also need to be easily reversible and not impact on the taker's sexual enjoyment.
There have constant efforts to persuade males to use contraceptives. Some males, however, feel condoms adversely affect their sexual enjoyment. A male pill would go some way to addressing this concern (as well as being extremely reliable in preventing pregnancies), although it of course wouldn't offer the same protection against STIs. Therefore, it would likely have to be used in unison with other contraceptives in many circumstances.
Do you think men could be trusted more than women to take the contraceptive pill? Would such a contraceptive act as a viable alternative to existing methods of contraception? Would it address some problems while potentially amplifying others? Vote in our poll and leave your comments below.
