We are all aware that male birth control options have been pretty much nonexistent other than condoms. That may change soon, maybe. A study was presented at the recent Endocrine Society meeting in Chicago that showed a promising male birth control pill which suppresses sperm production. About 100 men between the ages of 18 and 50 took daily pill for a month. The pill is called dimethadrolone undecanoate (DMAU) and is made up of two steroid hormones- testosterone and progestin. It is actually chemically quite similar to the female birth control pills. DMAU appears to lower testosterone level which serves to suppress the production of sperm. Most participants in the study tolerated the pill well with minimal unwanted side effects. This is a small preliminary study and more research is definitely needed before it can be available for the public. It remains to be seen whether this method of contraception will be embraced by younger generation of males in our society. It is possible that they will not be as motivated to take the pill every day since they are not the ones who will become pregnant. What do you think?
Male Birth Controll Pill
Author
PAUL H EUN, MD, FACOG Dr. Eun is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist at Dedicated Women's Health Specialists. Dr. Eun has many areas of special interest and expertise which include minimally invasive surgery, pelvic prolapse, and incontinence. In addition, he is a principal investigator for many clinical research projects in women's health.