Male birth control pill found to be effective and safe to use

go through Time Domain Network Wireline staff

March 19, 2018 at 2:53 pm

This medicine is taken once a day

Seattle, WA (TDN)
– Researchers at the University of Washington Medical Center have successfully tested a male birth control pill. At the end of the first trial, they say it is safe and effective. 83 men aged between 18 and 50 were the subjects of the study. Similar to female birth control pills, the new drug, called dimethylandrosol undecanoate or DMAU, contains a combination of hormones – androgens (such as testosterone) and progestins. It works by lowering a man’s sperm count, making them unable to get their partners pregnant. The pill is currently taken once a day, just like the female pill. According to the study, it was determined that the pill is only effective when taken with food. “Despite the low levels of circulating testosterone, very few subjects reported symptoms consistent with testosterone deficiency or excess,” said Professor Stephanie Page, the senior researcher on the study. “These encouraging results are unprecedented in the development of a male birth control prototype,” added Page. Importantly, all of the men involved in the study passed safety tests, including markers of liver and kidney function. “DMAU is a major advance in the development of a once-daily ‘male birth control pill,'” said Professor Page.

Although female birth control pills have been around for nearly 70 years, this is the first time a male birth control pill has been successfully used other than condoms.