Hormone treatment acts as a male contraceptive

Men may soon be an injection away from temporarily not having to worry about impregnating… Men may soon be an injection away from temporarily not having to worry about impregnating their partners during sex.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ A recent study, conducted by the ANZAC Research Institute in Australia, found that an injection of the hormone depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, or DMPA, every three months inhibited male sperm production enough to qualify as reliable contraception.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The study, the results of which were published in the October issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, was conducted over 5 years and involved 55 couples, who experienced no pregnancies during the up-to-12-month period each man used the injection. Progestin is a synthetic form of the female sex hormone progesterone, which women produce to regulate their menstrual cycle.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ While there were no major health side effects, according to study results, the progestin reduced the male sex drive along with sperm production, and testosterone had to be introduced into the body through hormone implants about once every four months to maintain previous libido.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ After as much as a year of treatment, study participants stopped taking the injections and recovered previous sperm rates and sex drive.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ANZAC researchers said that, with the right hormonal balance, men taking such injections can achieve temporarily low sperm levels that are usually only possible through a vasectomy, the surgical form of male contraception that blocks sperm from reaching semen.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ According to ANZAC, the region of Australia and New Zealand where the study was conducted has the highest rate of vasectomy in the world.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ANZAC researchers say that by having an injection every few months, men can forget about the potential pregnancy hazard of their partners forgetting to take birth control pills. They added that it was up to pharmaceutical companies, who would pick up the results of the study, to decide which commercial form, pill or injection, the contraceptive would take.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ A contraceptive injection for women using DMPA, called Depo-Provera and made by Pfizer, is already on the market.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ According to plannedparenthood.org, the Depo-Provera shot is most commonly given in the arm or buttock and acts as a contraceptive in women by preventing the ovaries from releasing eggs and preventing sperm from joining those eggs.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ According to The Emory University Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, a woman taking Depo-Provera every 3 months for a year has a 3 in 1000, or 0.3 percent, chance of becoming pregnant during unprotected sex.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Dr. Carla Fox, who is a clinical professor at The University of California San Diego School of Medicine and also works in private practice, thinks Depo-Provera could give men some insight into the advantages and disadvantages of such a form of contraception.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s convenient in the sense that you can take it every 3 months and forget about it, but it has been associated with side effects in women using it,’ Fox said.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ According to depo-users.com, an information resource Web site for women using Depo-Provera, known side effects of Depo-Provera include menstrual changes, weight gain, depression, and hormonal fluctuation.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ According to Fox, oral contraceptives, or birth control pills, are still the most popular form of physical contraception for her female patients. She said of all the current options for male contraception — including condoms and vasectomy — there is no convenient male equivalent to ‘the pill.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Some male Pitt students, who were asked if they would use such a contraceptive injection, weren’t convinced it would become a more popular option for men than using condoms.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Mike Gillen, a freshman studying Physical Therapy, was concerned about a reduced libido and the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I wouldn’t use it, because if you can’t stay in ‘working order’ and you’re not protected from STDs, it’s really not worth using it,’ said Gillen. ‘Condoms work better anyway.” Aaron Bumbarger, a junior economics major, said he wouldn’t use such an injection because he didn’t like the fact that he had to rely on artificially low sperm levels to ensure against pregnancy.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ”Almost no sperm’ isn’t ‘no sperm,” Bumbarger said. ‘What happens if you’ve got a couple of Olympic swimmers coming out of [you]?’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Justin Stone, a junior microbiology student, was wary of possible side effects and said he probably wouldn’t use the injection until it had been on the market for a while.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I’m happy with my libido now,’ said Stone, ‘so unless it lets you keep rolling for hours on end, I’m not all for it.’