After years of research, scientists have finally come close to implementing the first male hormonal contraceptive injection. This comes as a welcome breakthrough as the use of hormonal contraceptives has been a burden typically carried by women; this would therefore offer couples the option to share responsibility.
The jab, which consists of a combination of two hormones, works by halting the production of sperm. The progestogen in the injection reduces the production of sperm, but also diminishes testosterone production, so the jab also contains testosterone in order to compensate for the deficit.
In a study conducted by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, only 4 of the partners of the 274 men who received the injection became pregnant, giving the jab an effectiveness rate similar to that of the female contraceptive pill. However, 5% of men did not recover their sperm count one year after stopping the injections. In total, 1491 side effects were reported during the study. Over a third of these were deemed irrelevant to the study.
The study concluded that there were side effects deemed too severe for some of the participants to continue. These included depression, acne, increased sex drive and muscle pain. Although there were numerous reported incidents of side-effects, three quarters of the men who took part in the study said they would take the injection in the future. The conductors of the study stopped taking on new participants in 2011 after concerns were highlighted in regards to the side effects.
The demand for an effective, reversible contraceptive for men is something that is still unmet. In 1960 the female pill was administered for contraceptive use. Prior to this it had only been used to treat menstrual disorders. There are a wide range of contraceptive options for women, both hormonal and non-hormonal, but for men it seems the choices are rather limited to condoms or more extreme options such as a vasectomy.
There seems to be a great need for shared responsibility in this area. Women shouldn’t have to bear the side effects of hormonal birth control alone. However, due to the fact that men are constantly producing sperm, and therefore require a higher dosage of hormones to supress testosterone production, the side effects of hormonal contraception aimed at men could be significantly higher.
Scientists who conducted the study said they are working on a new method of delivering the hormones that would hopefully reduce the unwanted side-effects. This might involve a gel that men could rub on their chest every morning.
An advancement in this field could mean a huge achievement in terms of gender equality. Couples using birth control could share the burden of potentially undesired side effects and alternate, giving each other a break and meaning both partners have equal spurts of hormone intake. If the ultimate goal of contraception is to prevent undesired pregnancies, and this is something desired by both parties, then it seems only fair that the precautions taken are weighted equally between the couple.