New Male Contraceptive Choices Coming

Wouldn't it be great if men could play a bigger role in preventing unplanned pregnancies? According to an article from Ms. magazine, recently 140 male contraceptive researchers met in Seattle. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss alternatives to the traditional male contraceptives -- condoms and vasectomy. The two-day meeting included researchers from around the world and was sponsored by the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the University of Washington.

During the "Future of Male Contraception" meeting a number of practical methods of birth control for men were presented. Among them is a hormonal method of birth control that has been shown, in clinical trial conducted at the University of Washington, to kill sperm in 90 percent of men. This method combines two hormones that are already available for prescription -- a combination of testosterone gel and a progestin injection. Another contraceptive method discussed during the meeting was a drug that interferes with Vitamin A receptors in the testes which has been shown to be effective in mice.

It's clear that more choices in contraceptives for men will one day be a long overdue reality.

More: Male Birth Control on The Horizon
Pregnancy Rates for Contraceptive Methods