Men have only had two birth control options: condoms or sterilization. Early mouse lab experiments revealed another approach. These early lab experiments suggest guys may one day be able to take a birth control pill before sex. This new tablet, TDI-11861, prevents sperm from fertilizing an egg in the female reproductive tract.
A male birth control pill on demand
Nature Communications reported that a single dose of TDI-11861 immobilized mouse sperm for 2.5 hours in early lab studies. After three hours, some sperm moved again, and most after 24 hours.
Male mice administered this medication before mating with females had no pregnancies. Male mice without medication impregnated females one-third of the time.
Senior authors Jochen Buck, MD, Ph.D., and Lonny Levin, Ph.D., professors of pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, predict that males may one day be able to take a birth control pill before intercourse to avoid conception.
“Men would only take a contraceptive when and as often as they needed it,” Drs. Buck and Levin emailed.
The pill of the future for men will require precise timing to be successful
There is a significant catch, though, and that is that men will need to employ it in the appropriate manner.
According to Buck and Levin, “We anticipate that the ultimate drug we develop will be active within 30 minutes of taking it and will remain active—rendering the man infertile—for 12 to 18 hours.” “It will be necessary for the man to keep an eye on the clock to make certain that he does not go over the allotted time.”
The experimental treatment is part of a new group of drugs that are meant to stop a protein called soluble adenylyl cyclase from doing its job. This enzyme plays an essential role in the maturation and movement of sperm, and its inhibition is the goal of this new class of medications. It seems that a single dose of TDI-11861 is all that is required for it to function as a SAC inhibitor, and then its effects gradually fade away after that. This indicates that males wouldn’t be sterile for an extremely lengthy period of time—merely long enough to prevent pregnancy in the hours immediately after usage of the drug.
According to Buck and Levin, sperm will typically start swimming vigorously through the vagina after ejaculation in order to ascend past the cervix and into the uterus. This is the normal process. It is conceivable for a pregnancy to occur several days after sexual activity because sperm can live for several days once they reach the uterus. This makes it possible for a pregnancy to occur.
However, sperm that originates from a guy who has taken an SAC inhibitor will be immotile, which means they will not be able to move freely through the vagina and will not be able to reach the cervix, according to Buck and Levin.
How much longer will it be before male birth control is available?
They intend to conduct additional research on mice before moving on to testing on humans. Buck and Levin have stated that they are looking forward to beginning their research on humans within the next two to three years.
According to Stephanie Page, MD, Ph.D., a contraceptive researcher and professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle who was not involved in the new study, one open question is whether this experimental drug would remain active the entire time sperm remained in the female reproductive tract in order to reliably provide contraception. While the idea of immobilizing sperm to prevent pregnancy is intriguing, one open question is whether this drug will remain active the entire time sperm remains in the female reproductive tract.
According to Dr. Page, “In humans, sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for a few days,” which means that an effective form of contraception targeting this component of male fertility may need to endure for at least 48 hours and possibly much longer.
Gunda Georg, Ph.D. A contraceptive researcher, professor, and director of the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, believes that because this new pill will be given to healthy males, it would also have to be exceedingly safe for men to take it.
The potential for a male birth control pill is an exciting advancement in the field of reproductive health. By offering men a proactive role in contraception, this innovation has the power to reshape family planning dynamics and provide couples with more options to make informed decisions about their reproductive futures.