NEW DELHI, Oct 08: For the first time, a male contraceptive treatment has achieved a 100 per cent success rate in trials involving 55 couples with no pregnancies over 12 months, Australian scientists have reported. The treatment works by suppressing sperm production. The treatment was fully reversible and the men suffered no undesirable side-effects. "This is the first time a reversible male contraceptive that will suppress sperm production reliably and reversibly has been fully tested by couples," said principal investigator, Professor David Handelsman of the ANZAC Research Institute. Fifty-five Australian couples had hormone treatment every three or four months to switch off sperm production completely for up to 12 months. During this period they relied on this treatment as the only contraceptive. Previous studies had only checked whether sperm production had been switched off, the present study, which took five years, is the first to check how well the contraception actually works in practice.
The study by Prof Handelsman and Prof Rob McLachlan at Prince Henry’s Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, to be published in the October issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, is proof that a male contraceptive product can be developed using a combination of male hormone and a progestin.
"We used a hormonal implant to replace testosterone given every four months and the progestin DMPA, was injected every three months. This formula produced no pregnancies over the 12-month period," Prof Handelsman, a leader in the field of reproductive research and clinical medicine for the last 20 years.
"This shows the way for a final product to be a single injection containing testosterone and a progestin which will easily given by local doctors on a 3-4 monthly basis and still maintain male sexual health," he said.
"This is a very important study because it was the first to ever fully test an approach which could go forward into practical development. As researchers we have done as much as is possible. It is now over to the companies to develop a convenient and acceptable product. We have proved that it is possible for them to do it," Prof Handelsman said.
"The results of this study foreshadow how men may be able to take greater responsibility for contraception in a convenient and effective way," he said.
"This is about providing people with choice. When couples are at different stages of their reproductive life – their needs differ. This is designed for couples in stable relationships where they negotiate their contraceptive needs and their desire for family and timing of children," he said.
The study was funded by the US-based CONRAD (Contraceptive Research and Development), a public sector research and development agency.