A new trial that has enrolled couples from Edinburgh and Manchester, United Kingdom, is commencing the testing of contraception for men that promises to relieve women of the burden of using a contraceptive pill and its associated side effects like breast cancer and blood clots.
Sixty couples in Manchester and 20 in Edinburgh are taking part in the year-long trial conducted by the University of Edinburgh, as part of a larger worldwide study. Contraception for men comes in the form of a jab that is offered every two months at their GP. These injections contain testosterone, the male sex hormone and progesterone, (female sex hormone), which together activate the brain into shutting off sperm production. Scientists claim that sperm counts rapidly return to normal once the injections are stopped.
Although the injection is still about 5 years away from market, scientists have found it to be effective in 99% of cases. “A lot of women may think it’s time men took their turn. When we carried out surveys of women, they were enormously enthusiastic. The single most common reason was they wanted to share the responsibility for contraception,” said Prof Richard Anderson of Edinburgh University, who is helping conduct the trial.