Hormone injection for contraception for men shows very reliable effect

Are men responsible for contraception soon??
So far, contraception was usually a task for women. The so-called anti-baby pill is used worldwide by many women for contraception. Researchers have now found that hormone injection in men is an alternative method of contraception. This type of contraception is also very reliable and safe.

Researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO) found in an investigation that hormone injection in men can be an effective method of contraception. With her, contraception might be taken over by men in the future. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism".

Certainly very few people like to get an injection. However, research has shown that hormone injections in men can be very effective for contraception. (Image: weyo / fotolia.com)

Effectiveness of the hormone injection is almost 96 percent
A study of 270 male volunteers showed that a hormone injection for prevention achieved an efficacy of almost 96 percent. After using the syringes, only four couples had pregnancies. However, the syringe leads to a relatively high number of side effects, including acne and mood swings, the physicians explain. Researchers have been studying the potential for male hormonal contraceptives for about 20 years.

Researchers are looking for effective ways to suppress sperm production
Men are constantly producing sperm. For this reason, high levels of hormones are needed to lower the normal sperm count from over 15 million per milliliter to less than one million per milliliter. Researchers looked for an effective way to suppress sperm production. However, this should not cause any unpleasant or unbearable side effects.

Aim of the study: Reduce sperm count to under one million
The physicians looked at their investigation men at the age of 18 to 45 years, who had been in monogamous relationships for at least a year. The sperm of the men were checked at the beginning of the study. This was to make sure that the sperm were normal. The subjects then received every eight weeks two hormone injections (progesterone and a form of testosterone). The sperm count was monitored for up to six months until the sperm count fell below one million, the experts add.

Results are promising
As soon as the subjects stopped injections, it was observed how quickly the sperm recovered, the doctors say. The treatment lasted for up to a year. The current study showed that a male hormonal contraceptive actually reduces the risk of unplanned pregnancies. Mario Festin of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Hormone injections can lead to severe side effects
However, there were unpleasant side effects, many of which participants reported. These included, for example, depression and mood swings as well as muscle pain and acne, explain the scientists. Because of the side effects, even 20 men had to quit the study prematurely.

Physicians are now experimenting with the combination of the hormones contained
Other researchers are now working on a combination of different concentrations of hormones. In addition, different types of administration were checked, such as a gel, say the experts. These are important steps in the long search for the right combination for male hormonal contraception.

75 percent of the participants would use hormone injections
There is certainly an unmet need for an effective reversible contraceptive for men in terms of the hormonal contraceptive for women, explain the researchers. The contraceptives in this study have been extremely effective and promising when the number of side effects can be reduced. Remarkable for the researchers was that 75 percent of the participating men would be willing to re-use hormone injections for contraception. (As)