Future Contraceptives

The majority of birth control methods as of the present tend to focus more on the female body.
The birth control pill, diaphragm, Depo-Provera, and Norplant are just a few of the many
contraceptives designed to be used by women. As much as women want to have the power to
control their reproductive capabilities, they would also like some equality in the procedures.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that there are increasing efforts being made today to develop
new forms of male birth control.

The Pill for Men

Holding the most promise for the future of male contraception is a birth control pill. Similar to the
female birth control pill, the male birth control pill uses synthetic hormones to lower a man's
sperm count. Clinical trials have already been done in various countries showing that oral
contraceptives for men are effective. With these promising results, many hope that the pill will
be available to men soon.

Intra Vas Device

The IVD is two sets of tiny, pre-formed, flexible silicone plugs which are inserted into the vasa
deferentia, the tubes carrying sperm from the testes. The device is sized to the width of each
recipient’s vas deferens, filling the lumen (the opening in the vas tube) but not stretching the
tube. Two plugs are inserted in the same vas with a small space between them. If sperm passes
around the first plug and enters the space between the two plugs, the second plug blocks them.
In order to prevent the plugs from moving within the vas deferens, they are anchored with small
sutures to the wall of the vas deferens itself. Once implanted, they cannot be felt. The IVD is
similar in function to a vasectomy, but it leaves the vasa deferentia intact. 

Suspensories

Are briefs that are specially designed to hold the testes closer to the body, raising their
temperature. Because the change in temperature is only a few degrees, suspensories must be
worn daily to provide effective contraception. Clinical trials show that suspensories can
suppress sperm counts and make the remaining sperm poor swimmers.
Side Effects of Contraceptive:

Headache

Increased menstruation

Light or no menstruation

Menstrual Cramping

Weight Gain of Loss

Nausea

Vaginal Dryness

Local Skin irritation

RISUG

RISUG is an injectable compound that partially blocks the vasa deferentia (tubes that carry
sperm), providing effective contraception for up to 10 years per dose. It is effective immediately,
has few side effects, and has proven to be reversible in primate studies. This contraceptive has
completed Phase I and II clinical trials in India. Their research has convinced us that RISUG is
the most promising of the potential male contraceptives.

How does it work?

RISUG is an acronym for Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance, and is composed of
styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) complexed with the solvent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). RISUG
has two contraceptive effects: partial blockage of the vasa deferentia and disruption of the
sperm that pass through it.

Sperm that are present in the ejaculate after RISUG has been administered have broken cell
membranes. The membrane carries molecular keys that are needed to attach to an egg. It also
contains packets of enzymes that are needed to dissolve the outer coating of an egg. Without
those keys or enzymes, the sperm are functionally infertile. Researchers postulate that RISUG
ruptures the membranes by stressing their ion exchange mechanisms.

Side Effects

Some of the participants in the Phase II clinical trial reported slight swelling of the testes with no
associated pain. The swelling resolved itself within 2 weeks of the injection with no treatment.
None of the RISUG trial participants have asked to leave the study because of uncomfortable
side effects. By contrast, attrition rates during male hormonal contraceptive trials can be as high
as 20% of participants.

Adjudin

Adjudin is a new drug and an analogue of an old drug known as lonidamine. Lonidamine is an
anti-cancer medication whose contraceptive effect was discovered in the 1980s. Researchers
did not pursue lonidamine as a male contraceptive because at high doses it caused kidney
damage. Since then, a group of scientists at New York’s Population Council, a nonprofit
contraceptive research organization, have sought compounds less toxic than, but functionally
similar to, lonidamine. Advances in screening technology led to the identification of several
promising nontoxic compounds in the late 1990s. One of these compounds – AF-2364 or
Adjudin – is moving toward trials in humans.

How does it Work?

Adjudin provides contraception by disrupting the process of sperm maturation in the testes. It
changes the way Sertoli cells – which divide to produce new sperm cells and then nurse the
immature sperm – interact with sperm. In normal sperm production, Sertoli cells remain
connected with immature sperm through a series of microscopic bridges and channels. These
bridges provide materials and information needed to direct the development of the immature
sperm (spermatids).

Spermatids must undergo a series of cellular changes in order to become functional sperm.
These changes include packing down the sperm's DNA, shaping the cell for fast swimming, and
preparing the cell's membrane to recognize and fuse with an egg. When rats were treated with
Adjudin, the bridges between Sertoli cells and spermatids broke before the maturation
processes were complete. The prematurely released sperm are molecularly incomplete and
never become capable of fertilizing an egg.

For Females

While it's not exactly a new concept, yet another type of birth control pill is being marketed to
women. Sold under the names Anya and Lybrel, this pill works in much the same way as other
birth control pills. What distinguishes Anya from traditoinal 21-day horomone pills, though, is the
fact that Anya is taken 365 days a year with no breaks. This means that women are given
around the clock protection from pregnancy. It also means that a woman will no longer have a
period while she is using this form of birth control. There is still some debate as to whether or
not it is a good idea to suppress a woman's period, but for now, this pill appears to be on its way
to changing women's lives.