Birth control for men? Researchers will pay couples to try it. Here’s what to know
Researchers with universities across the U.S. and abroad have come together to test a new birth control for men.
Now, they just need couples to try it.
According to a release from the University of Utah, one of about a dozen groups helping recruit couples for the trial, scientists are gearing up to test a new contraceptive gel for heterosexual males designed to decrease sperm production and prevent pregnancy.
“In our society, women have primarily been responsible for contraception because they, not necessarily men, have to live with the consequences,” said David Turok, one of the trial’s principal investigators and chief of the Division of Family Planning in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at U of U Health.
The transparent gel is a combination of Nestorone and testosterone and is meant to be applied daily in the study, according to the trial description documented in the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The Nestorone, a synthetic hormone, is meant to inhibit testosterone production in the testes, reducing sperm production, while the replacement testosterone in the drug is meant to maintain sex drive and other functions in the participants.
Although the gel is meant to diminish the sperm count in men, it’s not permanent, researchers say — the effects of the gel are reversible.
“Men who wish to control their fertility currently have limited options. They have to rely on their female partner using contraceptives, use condoms, undergo vasectomy, or abstain,” the study website says.
The University of Utah, working with the National Institute of Health and the nonprofit Population Council, will be recruiting 12 couples to participate in the nationwide study testing the gel, which will last two years. In total, the study is looking to recruit up to 420 eligible couples and plan to have 200 couples finish the contraceptive efficacy portion of the study. Screening could last four to eight weeks to find eligible couples.
Men will have to come in for clinic visits during the study monthly, and women will have to visit clinics every three months, according to the study.
The study will also assess men’s compliance with consistently using the gel, as well as couples’ acceptance of the contraceptive method overall.
According to the university’s recruitment information, couples may receive up to $3,490 in compensation for the study. Men may receive up to $2,600 for their participation and their female partner may receive up to $840. Couples who are interested in participating must meet certain criteria, including the following:
- Healthy and aged 18 to 50 (men) or 18 to 34 (women)
- Sexually active in a stable, mutually monogamous relationship for at least one year
- Have no infertility issues, and
- Women must have regular menstrual cycles between 21 and 35 days.
Researchers said that the gel may take 4 to 6 months of daily use to take full effect, so couples must use other forms of contraception during the early stages of the test.
“After the man’s sperm count falls enough to prevent pregnancy, the couples will use the gel as their only form of birth control for 12 months,” researchers said in a press release. “After a year, the men will stop using the contraceptive gel and the study team will monitor their sperm count for at least four months or until it returns to a normal range.”
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the University of Utah health has coordinated with NIH’s Contraceptive Clinical Trials Network for studies in the past, but this research is the first attempt at male contraceptives with the program.
“This is a fabulous opportunity for men to step up and take an active role in the development of new methods of contraception. By doing this, they can demonstrate to their partners that they’re invested in a better future for all of us,” Turok said.
Couples interested in participating in the study with the University of Utah are asked to call the study coordinator at 801-923-6705. For a complete list, see the study’s list of recruitment contacts here.
This story was originally published January 25, 2022 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Birth control for men? Researchers will pay couples to try it. Here’s what to know."
