A few weeks back we talked about the physiology of the reproductive system of both males and females. In our discussions, we would detail the complex system of the female and leave out the details of the male system. One day in class, we dialogued about the rumors of male contraceptives and if they were as efficient as the female ones. We didn’t conclude with a clear answer so I wanted to investigate further.
According to Ahmed Mahmoud and Guy T’Sjoen from the Department of Internal Medicine at the University Hospital Ghent, in Belgium, male contraceptives are becoming more favored to males than ever before. GnRH antagonists and selective androgen and progesterone receptor modulators produce these male contraceptives. These hormonal contraceptives reduce the sperm concentration at most one million/ml and, unlike vasectomy, are reversible and invasive. They don’t interfere with sexual pleasure, like abstinence, withdrawal, and condoms do. Results illustrated that these male contraceptives were successful in 90% of Asian men, but in only about 60% of Caucasian men.
With this said, the pharmaceutical industry is skeptical to provide for this field of research when it is difficult to create a contraceptive that is “convenient, reversible, and, environmentally friendly” as costs of new drug development soars through the roof. This leaves me wondering how long it will take for a pharmaceutical companies to provide this contraception for males? And what society will think of it once it becomes fully accessible to the public? Do male contraceptives make men less manly? Should contraceptives be only for females?
Reference:
Mahmoud, A., & T’Sjoen, G. (2012). Male hormonal contraception: Where do we stand? European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care, 17(3), 179–186. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.3109/13625187.2012.667175
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