A new hormone skin gel shows promise in providing a birth control method to be used by men. Preliminary research showed that applying both testosterone and progestin gel to the skin significantly lowered the sperm counts in men tested.
The results of the study were presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.
Principal investigator Christine Wang, MD, professor at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center reported to Science Daily that "This is the first time that testosterone and Nestorone (synthetic progestin) have been applied to the skin together to deliver adequate amounts of hormones that suppress sperm production."
In this study, 99 men were divided into three groups and instructed to apply one of three unidentified transdermal gels every day for six months.
Group One had a gel that only contained 10 gms of testosterone plus a dummy gel of no progestin. Group Two used one with 10 gms of testosterone and one with 8 mg of Nestorone, a gel-based contraceptive. Group Three used one with 10 gms of testosterone and one with 12 mg of Nestorone.
Wang reported to Healthday News that the gel was applied in two spots. The testosterone component went on the arm and the progestin component was applied on the abdomen.
“Both testosterone and progestin work together to turn off production of reproductive hormones controlling the production of sperm,” according to Wang. In previous studies, progestin was delivered using pills, injections and implants
Fifty-six men completed at least 20 weeks of the study.
“Up to 89 percent of the men who received the combination formulas saw their sperm concentrations plunge to less than 1 million sperm per milliliter, versus just 23 percent of those receiving only testosterone,” according to HealthDay.com.
“Normal sperm concentration is more than 15 million sperm per milliliter.”
Approximately 78 percent of men in the 8 mg Nesteron group and 69 in the 12 mg Nestorone group had their sperm counts drop so significantly that no sperm could be detected.
Only 23 percent in the testosterone only group had this occur, according to EurekAlert.
One of the next stages in this research is to develop a testosterone formulation that does not have the androgenic (male hormone) side effects that cause acne or changes in cholesterol levels.
Nestorone does not cause androgenic activity.
Wang admitted that it is unknown what long term side effects may occur with this new birth control treatment.
Joseph P. Alukal, M.D., the other researcher in the study, also noted that it is unknown how reversible the suppression of sperm count would be.
With more research planned, it will be interesting to see if an alternative to condoms or vasectomies can be offered to men as a method of birth control.
The study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development and was conducted in conjunction with the University of Washington.
Nestorone is an investigational new drug being developed by the Population Council, a nonprofit organization in New York City, which supplied this drug for the study. Besins Pharma provided the testosterone gel.
Sources:
New Hormonal Gel Combination Shows Promise as Reversible Birth Control for Men. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120625125138.htm
New hormonal gel combination shows promise as reversible birth control for men. Eureka Alert. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/tes-nhg062412.php
Gel Shows Promise as Future Male Contraceptive: Early study found much lower sperm counts in men who applied hormone combo to skin. HealthDay. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=666342
Per HealthDay
Christina Wang, M.D., professor of medicine, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute; Joseph P. Alukal, M.D., assistant professor of urology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York City; presentation, Endocrine Society annual meeting, June 23-26, Houston
Michele is an R.N. freelance writer with a special interest in woman’s healthcare and quality of care issues. Other articles by Michele are at www.helium.com/users/487540/show_articles/
Edited by Jody Smith