Scientists have developed a new male contraception, but it needs abdominal injections of a gel.
Due to side effects, no male contraceptive has ever taken off, but experts believe they have finally developed one that is long-lasting and non permanent.
A recent survey revealed that an increasing number of men are abandoning condoms and depending on contraception used by women.
Contra line, a Virginia-based biotechnology business, is developing ADAM, the world’s first injectable male contraceptive gel, which the company characterizes as’similar to the IUD for males
Instead of chemicals to prevent sperm production, the contraceptive consists of a gel that is injected through a small incision in the abdomen into the tubes that deliver sperm.
The gel, which is not yet commercially available, will then prevent sperm from reaching the testicles.
After around two years, the gel dissipates, allowing men to undergo the treatment again.
The recovery period is comparable to that of a vasectomy.
Men must relax for twenty-four hours and refrain from engaging in intercourse, athletics, and hard lifting for a week, or they risk experiencing pain or bleeding within the scrotum.
It is undergoing clinical testing at the Epworth Freemasons hospital in East Melbourne, Australia.
Four males have received the contraception, and their side effects are being monitored.
If the trial is successful, a larger trial will be conducted in the United States the following year, with the treatment becoming commercially available in 2025 or 2026.
Professor Nathan Lawrentschuk, an Epworth Freemasons urologist and the study’s primary investigator, described the contraceptive as a “game-changer.”
He stated, “The three-year trial will examine the efficacy of hydrogel as a nonpermanent, long-lasting male contraception.”
If effective, it might be a game-changer, guaranteeing that contraception is a couple’s shared duty.
In March, doctors claimed to have created a tablet that is 99 percent successful at preventing pregnancy, making it comparable to the actual female equivalent.
According to tests conducted on mice, the non-hormonal medication YCT529 showed no discernible negative effects.
According to the team, the rats were able to father offspring again four to six weeks after they stopped using the contraception.
Later this year, University of Minnesota researchers hope to conduct human trials of a medication that suppresses a protein necessary for sperm production.
Other alternatives exist, including those tested on men in the United Kingdom during the past few years.
Professor Gunda Georg, who headed the study, stated that YCT529 is “the most advanced of all male contraceptive medicines.”
Since the 1950s, scientists have attempted to create an effective male oral contraceptive, using tablets, gels, and injections.
Even the most promising possibilities are believed to be at least many years away from widespread availability.
The fact that the female contraceptive prevents ovulation, which occurs once per month, is a significant obstacle.
Male contraceptives would have to inhibit the daily creation of millions of sperm by men.
The majority of the medications undergoing clinical testing inhibit the production of healthy sperm cells by testosterone, the male sex hormone.
According to doctors, the testosterone-blocking effect can include weight gain, sadness, and a rise in cholesterol.
Comparatively, the female combination contraceptive pill, which contains synthetic versions of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, has been associated with similar adverse effects on mental health.
