New Male Contraceptive Gel Enters Clinical Trials (cbslocal.com)

The first clinical trial is underway to test a new male contraceptive that could be a game changer for preventing pregnancy. From a report: "(It's) a combination of two horomones: Progestin, which is the typical horomone that is found in female contraceptive pills, which they put in there to suppress sperm production, to trick the body, and testosterone, which is the male sex horomone so that there's normal circulating levels of testosterone that men don't lose their libido or sexual function or have any changes in mood," said CBS News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula.

The National Institutes of Health is enrolling about 420 couples to use an experimental gel that has been in development for more than 10 years. If proven effective, it would be the first hormonal birth control for men. The gel is applied to the back and shoulders. Researchers found that testosterone, once absorbed through the skin, stays in the system longer than testosterone taken in pill form does. Male volunteers will use the gel every day for four to 12 weeks.

Comments

Re:Why not vasectomy instead?

[Oswald McWeany]

Apparently the female pill is something that women like because it reduces or eliminates unnecessary menstruation.

I've not known any woman who "likes the pill"- every woman I had a serious relationship would complain about the pill, how it made them gain weight, dropped their libido... etc, etc. I'm sure there are some out there because every woman is different and the pill impacts them slightly differently.

Women (most) don't take the pill because they like the effects- they take it because they don't want to get pregnant, or, because they have painful periods otherwise and so the side effects are just not as bad as having to deal with a painful period.