The holy grail of contraception, the male birth control pill, could be a reality. The Daily Mail reports that researchers at Monash University in Melbourne have been experimenting with a new method of oral contraceptive that they liken to a temporary vasectomy. The pill works by blocking certain proteins so that the male ejaculate doesn’t contain sperm — a “chemical snip,” if you will. The results have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and so far, they look promising. In trials, mice were found to be 100 percent infertile while on the drug; later, their sperm produced healthy baby mice.
Unlike previous designs, scientists claim the new male pill won’t affect hormones or render sperm dysfunctional — so it shouldn’t alter libido or affect future offspring.
“Will girls trust men to take it?” wonders the ever-thoughtful Daily Mail. Alas, this concern may be premature: Victoria Turk of Motherboard points out that economics, not science, might keep male birth control pills from appearing in pharmacies anytime soon.
