A way to avoid paternity fraud, unilateral abortion and child support scams
Taken from BBC. Not copywrited so feel free to pass on -
Scientists have developed an easy-to-use contraceptive pill and hormone patch for men.
A three-month course of the pill used in combination with the hormone patch reduces the number of active sperm to zero.
However, once men stop taking the pill patch their sperm counts return to normal.
The success of clinical trials using the method brings an easy-to-take male contraceptive pill one step closer, researchers have said.
Family planning specialists said the research was a significant advance.
They said a male pill would offer men more choice and provide a clear alternative to vasectomies.
Hormone balance
Three Manchester researchers, Dr Morton Hair, Dr Kay Kitteridge and Dr Fred Wu, will reveal their findings at the British Endocrine Societies annual meeting in Bournemouth on Monday.
They carried out their trials on 23 local men. The volunteers took a progesterone hormone pill, while wearing a body patch containing the sex hormone testosterone.
The volunteers were divided into three different groups, receiving low, medium and high levels of the progesterone pill.
Most of the men in the high and medium groups showed no active sperm after three months.
When they stopped taking the pill their sperm counts gradually returned to normal.
The method has still to be perfected, but Dr Wu believes that this work will lead to a more user-acceptable method of male contraception.
Until now progesterone-testosterone combinations have had to be injected.
Dr Wu said: “A significant number of women are unable or unwilling to use the female contraceptive pill long term.
“This method may allow their partners to take the responsibility for their contraception.”
Uses for a perfected pill
A spokeswoman for the Family Planning Association said: “It’s a very good advance, although we would like to see a greater number of men used in future studies.”
It would extend choice for men and give them more responsibility, she said.
Sperm counts were lowered and then restored
“Of the 13 methods of contraception available at the moment, men can only use three. The others leave it up to the woman to take responsibility.”
The FPA is optimistic that men would use a contraceptive pill, but it said not all men would be suitable candidates for it.
“We would expect a male pill to be used by men in a committed relationship who have already had as many children as they want, perhaps as an alternative to a vasectomy,” the spokeswoman said.
However, it would not be suitable for men having casual sex because it would provide no protection against sexually-transmitted diseases, she said.
“For people who want to have sex with a number of partners we would recommend a condom to protect against STIs and HIV,” she said.
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This is a very positive development which enables men to take control of their fertility rather than rely on the female which has been the case historically.
In the same way that feminism was associated with the contraceptive pill for women, masculism as a movement should be associated with the contraceptive pill for men and with attitudes regarding self-responsibility in sexual behaviour.
Comment by new zeal — Sat 22nd July 2006 @ 11:09 am
You got it there Kent. It’s the key to ending a lot of male angst IMO.
Comment by Stephen — Sat 22nd July 2006 @ 3:55 pm
Icant support such bse it will reduce the fertility of men and end result is reduction of world popns who will control the next generation are we really serious
Comment by davidssebaduka — Sat 22nd July 2006 @ 8:56 pm
This has profound implications for men-
1 Control of family size for married men.
2 Avoidance of Child Support traps for single men in relationships.
3 Early detection of cheating by wife- ‘You are pregnant- but it’s not my child because I am not fertile’
This becomes a huge relationship power-shift, and I expect a strident backlash from some feminists- it will be interesting to see if the Family Planning Association” will support this or not.
Personal observation- I had a vasectomy after we had had four children. My wife was outraged, when she realised that I had taken control of the fertility issue, and the marriage was effectively dead that point onward.
I agree that available male contraception will tip the balance. Women out there are already desperate to find available men to fertilize their eggs, now they will not only have to entice men to have sex, but persuade the man to agree to have children. Most men are likely to want assurances of being able to father their children, and not just be used as sperm-donors and then just as a money supply.
Comment by John Brett — Sat 22nd July 2006 @ 8:59 pm
I agree with you John, and I think this is going to be good thing for men. I know of a few who have traped males with ‘oh yes I’m on the pill’, but really never were. I think every male should get behind this and make sure its as freely avaliable to them as female contraception is to females.
Comment by Wendy — Sat 22nd July 2006 @ 9:11 pm
Yes its a great idea. hopefully men won’t find they have the same complications that women have had with a pill. However, I still wonder what you all have against the humble condom that has been around for decades and can quite easily stop your sperm being stolen without needing to pop medication.
Comment by Chrissy — Sun 23rd July 2006 @ 6:36 pm
Well one can only hope they make it available in my life time. As I will be one of the first queuing up for it. Have already had one un-wanted / un-planned child and don’t plan for any more and it destroyed my marriage due to the loss of trust.
Chrissy, I agree condoms are a valid alternative, they are not always practical in a committed relationship.. And have you every warn one.. Not that great to say the least.
Comment by SNMP — Sun 23rd July 2006 @ 7:30 pm
It’s quite ironical. I can remember the male pill being talked about in the 80s (hasn’t progressed very far) and women saying that they wouldn’t trust a man to take it because it wouldn’t be their problem if a pregnancy occured. Seems to have gone full circle with the lack of trust.
Never having worn a condom, I can’t comment on what it feels like for a man but be assured it isn’t that great for a woman either. however, as it appears that there are some women out there having one night stands to get pregnant,it would seem to be a good idea to protect yourself against that as well as disease.
Comment by Chrissy — Mon 24th July 2006 @ 12:40 am
The advice I’d give to guys is if you can’t ascertain whether the the woman you sleep with has an STD or not, then wear a condom. Otherwise, if she proves to be undiseased, and you can use the male pill - do so.
Comment by Stephen — Mon 24th July 2006 @ 1:26 pm
Clinical trials in 3 countries show minimal side effects in a small percentage of pill users (slight weight gain, which can be offset with extra exercise - perhaps sex! LOL!)
They appear confident that this can be improved upon as they are trialing only a prototype pill which will be refined further in due course after initial studies have been concluded.
It really does appear we are entering the dawn of a brave new world.
Chrissy,
believe me -
Wearing a condom is like washing your feet -
with your socks still on!
Comment by Stephen — Mon 31st July 2006 @ 1:30 pm