After more than a decade of work, researchers from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in the United States are about to launch a clinical trial of a new male contraceptive.
400 couples from the United States, Chile, Kenya but also the United Kingdom, Italy and Sweden will join this trial which will last four years.
A gel that reduces the level of testosterone
Unlike Valsagel,a male contraceptive that must be injected into the penis, this other contraceptive comes in the form of a hormonal gel that men must apply daily to the arms and shoulders. Hormones are quickly absorbed through the skin and then remain in the bloodstream, researchers say this gel lowers testosterone levels to prevent normal sperm production, while synthetic testosterone is used to maintain the body’s hormonal balance. .
“It’s not a lot of effort. Just think about using it every day”, explains Diana Blithe, director of the contraceptive development program. But an “oversight” of a day should not be of consequence because the gel allows to suppress the production of sperm for 72 hours.
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