Becki HermanEsta cuenta se ha cancelado
Becki Herman
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Studying Testosterone's Effects The men in the Chinese study received monthly injections of a form of testosterone known contraception otc emergency contraception as testosterone undecanoate (TU). Monthly injections of a testosterone-based contraceptive were 99% effective for preventing partner pregnancy in what researchers say is the largest trial ever of a hormone-based male birth control contraception approach. And is indicated to treat low testosterone levels with injections typically given ampicillin doses every three months. The reasons for this are not clear, but Gu tells that any hormonal birth control developed contraceptives for non-Asian men is likely to include another hormone -- progestin. "There has been a lot of consolidation within the industry, and several contraceptive pills companies that were working on hormonal birth control for men abandoned development even though their studies were positive," she tells. The Chinese men in Gu's study took monthly injections of 500 milligrams of TU in tea seed oil for 30 months. The search for a commercially viable male equivalent of the pill has been stalled in recent years, largely due to lack of interest by the pharmaceutical industry, says Daniele Lissner, who directs the Male Contraception Information Project. The contraceptives study looked at fertile men, and treatment with testosterone was used to decrease sperm production. Testosterone therapy is usually given to men to treat a condition resulting from a lack of testosterone. Studies have shown the testosterone-progestin combination to be very effective in suppressing fertility in white men. Over the course of the trial, nine pregnancies occurred in the partners of 1,045 study participants, or roughly one pregnancy for every 100 men.. Testosterone treatment is known to decrease hormones of the brain that signal the testes to produce sperm. Lead researcher Yi-Gun Gu, MD, of Beijing's National Research Institute for Family Planning tells that while the contraceptive was found to be highly effective in the study, TU alone is not likely to be used in non-Asian populations. Asian men seem to respond well to testosterone as a form of contraception, while studies in white men have shown it to be much less effective. Just over 1,000 Chinese men between the ages of 20 and 45 who had fathered at least one child within two years of enrollment took part in the study, which was published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. An oral male pill is not likely because testosterone is not as effective when taken by mouth and it can be toxic to the liver. Companies lost interest, she says, because they concluded that there was not enough of a market for male birth control that required implants or frequent injections. In men, testosterone controls sperm production, erections, and sex drive. This formula is not available in the U.S.
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