A team of scientists is developing male contraceptive pills: Here’s what we know so far

A team of scientists on Wednesday said that they have developed a male oral contraceptive that was 99% effective in mice without any side effects.

By the end of this year, the drug will enter human trials. With this, scientists could finally rope in men to share some of the burden of birth control – most of which is currently shouldered by women. The research was presented at the American Chemical Society’s spring meeting.

Male contraceptive pill: A helping hand to women

It’s actually quite uncanny that the first female birth control pill was approved in the 1960s and men still don’t have many birth control options. The most common options for men are wearing condoms or getting vasectomies to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Contraceptive pills for women depend on hormones that effectively disrupt the menstrual cycle. Scientists earlier tried to develop a pill for men that targeted testosterone, the male sex hormone.

However, scientists noted a variety of side effects including weight gain, depression, and increased levels of a cholesterol called low-density lipoprotein that increases risks of heart disease. The pills for women, too, have multiple side effects including the potential for blood clots but often such pills are the only option available to women.

Non-hormonal pill with no side effects

The new pill for men is non-hormonal and was developed by University of Minnesota graduate student Md Abdullah Al Noman. It targets a a protein called “retinoic acid receptor (RAR) alpha.” This protein is behind conversion of vitamin A into retinoic acid that plays a key role in growth of cells, sperm formation, and development of embryo.