SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATIONS IN MALE CONTRACEPTIVES
Scientists are developing a male birth control gel that can temporarily suppress sperm production while helping maintain testosterone levels in the bloodstream.
The promise is to create more flexible contraceptive options for couples and encourage shared responsibility between male and female partners in birth control and family planning.
WHAT ARE RESEARCHERS WORKING ON?
Scientists are testing a daily gel that combines two hormones:
- Nestorone: A synthetic hormone that suppresses the pituitary signals involved in stimulating sperm production.
- Testosterone: Replaces the testosterone that would otherwise decline when those signals are suppressed.
Here's how they work together.
Nestorone suppresses LH and FSH. As these signals decline, testosterone levels inside the testes fall, disrupting the conditions needed for normal sperm production.
Meanwhile, testosterone absorbed through the skin helps maintain testosterone levels in the bloodstream, supporting other functions of the body.
In simple terms: The gel reduces the hormonal instructions needed to produce sperm while replacing the testosterone the rest of the body still needs.
WHAT DID HUMAN TRIALS SHOW?
An analysis involving 222 men using the experimental gel found that:
- 192 men (86%) achieved sperm concentrations of one million per millilitre or less during treatment.
- The median observed time to reach this level was approximately eight weeks.
- More than 80% achieved the required suppression within 12 weeks.
To put the one-million figure into perspective, the experimental gel aims to reduce sperm concentration to one million or less.This does not mean that one million sperm guarantees infertility. Rather, it is the very low concentration researchers use as a threshold for entering the contraceptive efficacy phase of the trial.
The gel also does not provide immediate contraceptive protection.
Men must use it consistently and undergo semen testing to confirm that sperm suppression has reached the required level before relying on it for contraception.
WHY THIS RESEARCH MATTERS
This represents a different approach to male birth control.
Instead of physically blocking sperm or permanently interrupting their transport, scientists are attempting to temporarily suppress the biological process responsible for producing them.
If further trials establish its safety, contraceptive effectiveness and reversibility, this approach could introduce an entirely new option for men and expand the choices available to couples.
- Reproductive Health Observatory
Neonatal DAO
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ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION COULD BE AN EARLY WARNING SIGN FOR STROKE & HEART ATTACK
Studies suggest that erectile dysfunction (ED) might be an early signal of major cardiovascular diseases that occur years later, sometimes within approximately 2 to 5 years.
A systematic review and meta-analysis examined 25 studies involving 154,794 men. Compared with those without ED, men with ED had:
โข 43% higher relative risk of cardiovascular disease.
โข 59% higher relative risk of coronary heart disease.
โข 34% higher relative risk of stroke.
โข 33% higher relative risk of all-cause mortality.
These are relative increases in risk, NOT absolute probabilities that an individual man will experience these events.
The association also does not establish that erectile dysfunction directly causes heart attacks or strokes.
Rather, ED can serve as a clinically meaningful marker of underlying vascular disease and cardiovascular risk.
AN ERECTION IS FUNDAMENTALLY A BLOOD FLOW EVENT
An erection occurs when blood flows into the penile arteries and fills the erectile tissue.
When blood vessel function is impaired, achieving or maintaining an erection can become difficult.
WHY CAN ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION APPEAR BEFORE HEART DISEASE?
Penile arteries are considerably smaller than the coronary arteries supplying the heart muscle.
When vascular dysfunction begins developing, relatively small changes in blood flow may become noticeable in the penis before they produce obvious symptoms in the heart.
WHAT SHOULD A MAN DO IF HE DEVELOPS ED?
Rather than treating the erection problem in isolation, consider a comprehensive medical assessment.
This may include:
โข Blood pressure measurement.
โข Blood glucose or HbA1c testing.
โข Cholesterol and lipid assessment.
โข Evaluation of smoking, weight, physical activity and family history.
โข Assessment of possible hormonal, neurological, psychological or medication-related causes.
Depending on the findings, further cardiovascular evaluation may be appropriate.
And yes, erectile dysfunction is treatable.
But identifying and addressing its underlying causes may be just as important as improving sexual function.
- Reproductive Health Observatory
Neonatal DAO