A male birth control pill may be on the market sooner than later. A new pill, DMAU has been testing well in early trials and holds promise to be a safe and effective alternative form of birth control.
DMAU is a combination of androgen and progestin that when taken daily an reduce sperm count enough so that his partner doesn’t get pregnant. Dr. Stephanie Page, who’s the study’s senior investigator says the pill is a major step in male contraceptive and some men may even prefer it. “Many men say they would prefer a daily pill as a reversible contraceptive," she explains. "Rather than long-acting injections or topical gels, which are also in development."
Why not sooner? Most other attempts at developing a male oral contraceptive have resulted in liver inflammation an toxicity, but there’s been no signs of that in the DMAU studies. Page reports only slight weight gain and increase in cholesterol levels. After safety trials, the pill will go through a three-month study to determine if its an effective male oral contraceptive.
Source: US News & World Report