Is male birth control the way of the future?

Is male birth control the way of the future?

It’s a tale as old as time. A woman takes a visit to her trusty OB/GYN, answers yes to “are you sexually active?”, and is immediately put on “the pill.” Simple, right?

Wrong. Just because it has been this way, does not mean that it has to stay this way. In very recent years, more and more studies on male birth control pills have been conducted. So far, the results are pretty promising.

Male birth control… what is it?

Right now, there are two main drugs being tested for the male birth control pill, Dimethandrolone undecanoate (DMAU) and 11β-MNTDC. Both hormone pills lower testosterone and sperm levels in the body by suppressing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), which produce testosterone and sperm.

Is taking the pill dangerous?

While it may sound concerning at first, studies have shown that the reduced levels of testosterone and sperm caused by the pill do not enter dangerous levels, like of those diagnosed with low-testosterone. In a recent study, 96 males were assigned 400 mg pills, 200 mg pills, and placebo pills to take once day for seven days. Not only did results prove that the hormone pills successfully lowered testosterone and sperm in the men, sequentially higher as doses increased, but also that the men found the process to be quite agreeable, with very minimal side effects reported. In fact, 75% of the men that took the hormone pills said that they would be interested in taking the pills again in the future.

So… when can we start using it?

The male birth control pill has proven itself to be a potential option for heterosexual couples in the future, reducing risks of pregnancy and seemingly not causing other complications short-term. The question is though, is it safe long-term? Unfortunately, we don’t have an answer yet. Many studies are still being conducted to measure the potential long-term effects for men using the pill, with hopes of earning FDA approval.

With hopes of this becoming a reality, it is important that both men and women hold an active role in their own and their partner’s reproductive health. Have conversations with each other, meet with medical professionals, and do your research! Having another option for birth control is an exciting possibility for men and women all over the world and hopefully, is not very far away from coming true.