Goodbye to condoms. From now on, the ability of ultrasound applied to the testicles to stop the production of sperm could displace the rest of contraceptive methods in men, as suggested by a study published in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology .
Although the potential of ultrasound as a male contraceptive was first known 40 years ago, it is now that the technology has allowed researchers at the University of North Carolina (USA) to apply high-frequency (3MHz) ultrasound around the testicles. to cause the depletion of your germ cells. In experiments with mice, the scientists showed that two 15-minute sessions of ultrasound, two days apart and heating the testes to 37 degrees Celsius, are enough to reduce the number of sperm to a level below what the World Organization Health (WHO) considers "fertile" – 95 percent of fertile males have more than 39 million sperm in ejaculation.
However, in the authors' opinion, more studies are needed to determine how long the contraceptive lasts and whether it is safe to use it multiple times. What they are clear about is that, if it works, it could be the ideal male contraceptive : it would be cheap, long-lasting but reversible, and with few or no side effects.
