Contraceptive methods adopted by people to prevent pregnancy often takes a toll on their health or involve going under the knife. One of the most common method, contraceptive pills, mess up hormones in females and can trigger mood swings, depression, nausea, and irregular menstrual bleeding.
Scientists have now come up with a male contraceptive compound, which can significantly slow down sperms' mobility without affecting hormones.
According to a public release by Eureka Alert, a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE tells how a compound called EP055 can bind to sperm proteins to slow them. That best part is that EP055 doesn't have any side effect and doesn't affect hormones.
"Simply put, the compound turns-off the sperm's ability to swim, significantly limiting fertilization capabilities. This makes EP055 an ideal candidate for non-hormonal male contraception," said lead investigator Michael O'Rand. O'Rand is also a retired professor of cell biology and physiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, and president/CEO of Eppin Pharma, Inc.
Before concluding, the researchers in the Oregon National Primate Research Center at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, US observed male rhesus macaques for thirty hours after they were injected with infusion of EP055. The animals showed low sperm motility but there was no sign of any physical side effects.
"At 18 days post-infusion, all macaques showed signs of complete recovery, suggesting that the EP055 compound is indeed reversible," said study co-investigator Mary Zelinski, who is the research associate professor at the ONPRC at OHSU and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine.
However, the researchers said that EP055 cannot be made available for human use as some more research work is needed. Pills form of the compound is being tested for its effectiveness against pregnancy.
Currently, only condoms and surgical vasectomy are the only two options of birth control available for men. Other drugs in clinical trials are proven to affect hormones while targeting the sperm production. Moreover, all other contraceptive methods are administered through the female body.
Ladies rejoice! Probably you will be able to get rid of painful Copper-Ts and uncomfortable birth control sponges and patches.
