The arrival of the female contraceptive pill in the 1960s was a symbol of women’s sexual liberation. But now, almost half a century later, things don’t seem to have changed much. When it comes to family planning, the responsibility remains solely with the female body.
Although researchers have spent years trying to develop a male contraceptive pill that inhibits sperm production, its safety in terms of effectiveness and side effects has not yet convinced the scientific community.
Up to now. A new pill called DMAU , developed by the National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, looks very promising. The results of the study were presented Sunday, March 18, in the 100th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Chicago, Illinois.
Like the pill for women, the activity of the new DMAU pill consists of combining an androgen (male hormone) such as testosterone, and a progestin; and has to be taken once a day.
“DMAU is an important step forward in the development of a daily male pill. Many men say they would prefer a daily pill for reversible contraception, rather than long-acting injections or topical gels, which are also in development,” explains Stephanie Page , one of the researchers, and professor of Medicine at the University of Washington.
The study included 100 healthy men, aged between 18 and 50 years. The researchers tested three different doses of DMAU (100, 200, and 400 milligrams or mg) and two different formulations within the capsules. Each dose group included five subjects who were randomly assigned to receive an active placebo, and a larger group of men received DMAU. Subjects took the drug or placebo for 28 days once a day with food.
“DMAU must be taken with food to be effective,” the study specified.
In men who took the highest dose of DMAU, 400 mg, there was a “marked suppression” of their testosterone levels and two hormones necessary for sperm production.
Mild side effects
Regarding side effects, all men had weight gain and decreased HDA (“good”) cholesterol levels, although both effects were mild. In addition, all subjects passed safety tests, including liver and kidney function markers.
Recall that the side effects of female contraceptive pills currently on the market include breakthrough spotting, nausea, breast tenderness, headaches, weight gain, mood swings, decreased libido, and alteration in vaginal discharge. .
Despite the mild side effects found in DMAU, not all the men who started the study decided to continue to the end: a total of 83 men completed the study, including blood samples, for hormone and cholesterol tests, in the first and last study day.
“These promising results are unprecedented in the development of a prototype male pill,” stated Page. “Longer-term studies are currently underway to confirm that DMAU taken every day does indeed block sperm production.”
