Science & Tech

Another promising step towards male birth control has been made

Another promising step towards male birth control has been made
Birth Control 101: Exploring your contraception options
Fox - 5 DC / VideoElephant

Hydrogel is one of the most promising steps in the development of reversible male contraception and research by a Master’s graduate has offered another encouraging step.

Attempts to develop a reversal birth control method for men have been in the pipeline for decades but scientists are now more hopeful than ever.

This gel is designed to form a semi-permeable barrier within the vas deferens in under a minute when injected. Raoult suggests the injection could be done in a doctor’s office.

Pores within the gel allow seminal fluid (semen) to pass through normally but the pores are too small for sperm cells to pass through.

A sperm cell fertilising an eggNon-invasive male contraception is being trialledwww.indy100.com

Any sperm produced will be re-absorbed into the body while the gel is in place, which is a similar process that happens after a vasectomy. The difference between this hydrogel and a vasectomy is that in theory the gel can be dissolved easily.

“By simply injecting a solution into the gel to reverse the process, the chemical bonds in the gel are broken, causing it to dissolve into a watery substance that can be flushed out,” Raoult explained in a statement. She added the polymers that make up the gel have been shown to be safe for the body and hormone levels are not altered either.

The hydrogel is designed to remain in place until the patient wants to restore fertility, Raoult said. She developed the hydrogel while completing her Master’s in Polymer Science.

“Men's options are mostly limited to condoms, vasectomies and some hormone-based methods. Condoms aren't always 100 per cent effective and since they are known to decrease sexual stimulation, they are often used incorrectly if at all,” she told IFLScience. She also said that while vasectomies are “excellent contraceptives”, they are more of a “permanent option”.

Another exciting male contraception pipeline is ADAM, a non-hormonal and non-permanent hydrogel which works by blocking sperm from travelling through the vas deferens without affecting sensation or ejaculation.

In December last year it was announced a hormone-free birth control pill for men had entered the first round of human trials.

YourChoice Therapeutics' YCT-529 pill works by hindering access to vitamin A and subsequently preventing the production of sperm.

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