Male birth control is slowly becoming more of a reality. The largest clinical trial to date on hormonal male contraception is set to being in the first half of 2018. The goal is to enroll more than 400 couples in six countries around the world. The men will rub a gel containing synthetic hormones onto their upper arms and shoulders once a day. The researchers will then track the gel’s effectiveness at preventing pregnancy in their partners. The experimental gel contains a synthetic progestin called nestorone, which blocks the testes from making enough testosterone to produce sperm, and a synthetic testosterone, which will counteract subsequent hormonal imbalances. The trial is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the non-profit Population Council. The experiment will include couples from the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden, Chile, and Kenya. A different combination of progestin and testosterone were previously tested, but through a hormone injection every two months. Researchers found that shots were 96 percent effective at suppressing sperm counts, but the study was stopped early when the men complained about mood swings, muscle pain and other side effects. The new experimental drug contains less synthetic testosterone which will hopefully prevent many of these problems. The gel has been shown to suppress sperm levels for about 72 hours, so there is a little leeway if men forget a dose. It will likely be at least five years before the gel — if proved successful — is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and becomes available to the public.
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