Male Contraceptive Pills are Back in the Spotlight: How Far Along has this Science Come?

How far has the Science of male contraception reached? (Credit: Unsplash)

The never-ending debate over why contraception must only be marketed and facilitated as the woman's prerogative – if that – has received a fresh argument. An experimental, hormone-free male contraceptive pill, designed to temporarily stop sperm motility is in development by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine.

As per several reports, the pill blocks an enzyme called soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) which is essential for sperm tails to move and swim. The right way to ingest it for maximum efficacy is to take it 30 minutes before engaging in sex, providing a 6 to 8 hour window of protection against pregnancy. As for the sperm motility and general levels of fertility in the male, they full recover within a 24-hour window. Additionally, the pill does not alter male hormones, and reportedly also does not impact long-term fertility. Researchers have received an $8.2 million grant from the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to advance the compound, taking it toward human clinical safety trials – an essential piece of information asserting that despite the promise it carries, it is not yet approved or commercially viable.

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Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle