Health

Researchers are testing 2 contraceptive pills for men

By Mallika Marshall, MD

June 16, 2022 / 5:52 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON - Researchers are one step closer to designing a birth control pill for men.

Right now, the contraceptives available specifically for men are condoms, which have a relatively high failure rate, and vasectomies which is a surgical procedure that is difficult to reverse so a reliable, reversible, and easy-to-use option for men is needed.

Now researchers at NYU have performed Phase 1 clinical trials in men on two experimental once-a-day male contraceptive pills which suppress hormones needed to produce sperm.

They found both formulations were both safe and well-tolerated, with no significant side effects.

Now the drugs will be tested further to see if they can effectively suppress sperm production.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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