Defensive reaction
What methods of contraception will men of the future receive
Ignat Shestakov, Izvestia
Male contraceptives will not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, but they will allow those who do not want to have children to give up condoms.
Sperm pills
The task of scientists is to learn how to influence the formation of spermatozoa without depriving men of sexual desire. In 2012, a non-hormonal drug called JQ1 began to be tested in the United States. Initially, it was counted on as a means against cancer, but then it turned out that it negatively affects the release of sperm and their mobility. In 2013, Australian scientists told about experiments on mice. Proteins have been derived from animal organisms, which are intended for the transport of spermatozoa. As a result, the mice temporarily became infertile, but, as in the case of JQ1, this did not affect sexual desire.
In 2016, a new American study appeared, this time of a hormonal drug. Every two months for six months, 270 men were given two injections. When the number of spermatozoa in one milliliter of their sperm became below 1 million, they, along with their regular partners, were asked not to use any other means of contraception, while injections continued for another year. As a result, only four women became pregnant.
Despite successful trials, it is unlikely that such injections (with progesterone and a type of testosterone) will go on sale soon. 20 men were forced to withdraw from further participation in the experiment due to depression and muscle pain.
Gel injections were suggested by scientists from the University of California. In 2017, they talked about successful tests of a reversible vasectomy analogue on monkeys and rabbits. This is a surgical operation in which fragments of the vas deferens are tied up or removed, as a result, spermatozoa disappear from the ejaculate.
An article published in the medical journal Basic and Clinical Andrology describes a substance called Vasalgel. It is injected into the vas deferens, then it thickens, turns into a gel and blocks these ducts. The male becomes unfertile. An injection of another substance dissolves the gel, and in the case of rabbits, there was enough water with soda.
Another hormonal drug, in the form of tablets, was tested on 40 men by scientists from the University of Washington. Last spring, a report on the success of the first phase of the study was published in the journal JCEM. For 28 days, volunteers received one or two capsules daily with a drug called 11-beta-MNTDC or with a placebo.
Scientists have concluded that the substance lowers the level of testosterone and other hormones that affect the formation of sperm, but does not affect the work of the genitals. Among the side effects, a slight increase in body weight and a drop in the level of "useful" cholesterol were noted. But there is no damage to the liver, kidneys and sexual function, which is caused by "analogues of a hormonal drug available on the market," the authors of the study claim.
Bill Gates Condom Competition
Scientists are also thinking about how to destroy sperm cells without pills, injections and ointments. From 2010 to 2012, the staff of the University of North Carolina conducted a series of tests on rats and macaques. Their testicles were exposed to ultrasound for 15-30 minutes several times for two weeks.
The effect of painless procedures, according to scientists, lasted about two months in rats, and one and a half months in monkeys. Another successful series of tests was conducted in 2018. At the start of the project, he received a grant of $ 100 thousand from the Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates Foundation.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation held a separate grant competition in 2013 for condom developers. According to him, 11 prototypes received $ 100 thousand. But only two have reached at least some implementation.
The first one is from the Australian company Eudaemon Technologies. She suggested making condoms from hydrogel, a material for contact lenses. It is both stronger than latex, and less likely to cause allergies, and feels "like you have nothing on." At least, that's what the company's co-founder Robert Gorkin says. He also promises that condoms will be self-lubricating, and they will tear less often, and they will not taste and smell, and the material itself will somehow fight against STDs.
The second winner is a team from Boston University. She suggested spraying hydrophilic polymers on ordinary latex condoms. That is, well-wetting and water-absorbing substances. The problem that scientists solved was the lack of lubrication and the occurrence of friction when using a condom. Last year, developers reported that 85% of volunteers called modified condoms the most slippery, and 73% are ready to use them.
Childfree at the genetic level
The most innovative method of contraception – DNA vaccine, already tested by scientists from the California Institute of Technology on mice, is as follows. Short DNA molecules with antibody genes are injected into the muscles. These antibodies inhibit the hormone gonadoliberin, which is responsible for the production of sperm and eggs. That is, the DNA vaccine is suitable for both women and men. The disadvantage (and maybe the advantage) of the method is that such a DNA vaccine will be effective for at least ten years.
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