A New Form of Birth Control:
Will this Prevent Unplanned Pregnancies Forever?
While birth control pills have prevented unintended pregnancies since their introduction in 1960, their manufacturers often claim other health benefits as well. These benefits include the reduction of cramps and menstrual pain, treatment of acne, and possible prevention of ovarian cancers. However, ironically, long-term usage of these hormonal pills has also been associated with blood clots and breast cancer. As a result of this subtle danger, researchers from Nanchang University in China sought to develop a safer alternative.
Instead of trying to develop a safer form of female birth control, these researchers set their sights on shifting some of the contraception burden to the male population by seeking to develop a medium term reversible contraceptive. Current male birth control techniques are either short-term, effective only until the sexual activity is over (i.e. condoms), or long-term, meaning permanent birth control (i.e. vasectomy). Yet, condoms can fail and vasectomies are inconveniently non-reversible. So, after inspiration from colorful multi-layered cocktails served in bars, Xiaolei Wang and colleagues started to conduct their research.
Instead of trying to develop a safer form of female birth control, these researchers set their sights on shifting some of the contraception burden to the male population by seeking to develop a medium term reversible contraceptive. Current male birth control techniques are either short-term, effective only until the sexual activity is over (i.e. condoms), or long-term, meaning permanent birth control (i.e. vasectomy). Yet, condoms can fail and vasectomies are inconveniently non-reversible. So, after inspiration from colorful multi-layered cocktails served in bars, Xiaolei Wang and colleagues started to conduct their research.
Image Source: ahmad syahrir
Similar to how bartenders layered colorful liquids to make exotic drinks, the researchers hypothesized that layering four specific solutions of materials into male rats would sterilize them. As such, these researchers sequentially injected calcium alginate hydrogel, one set of gold nanoparticles, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and another set of gold nanoparticles into the vas deferens of male rats. The hydrogel acts as a physical barrier in the vas deferens, preventing sperm from traveling to the penis while EDTA destroys the sperm. The two sets of gold nanoparticles destroy the hydrogel and EDTA when heated up through infrared light, contributing to the reversibility of this contraceptive. Also, by altering the injection ratio of each material, the contraceptive period could be adjusted within a range of 2-20 weeks. This new birth control successfully prevented these male rats from impregnating female rats for more than 2 months. Furthermore, when irradiated with infrared light, the gold nanoparticles dissolved the entire solution in the vas deferens, allowing these male rats to produce offspring again.
While the research seems promising, it is important to consider the limitations of this study. As of now, it is still unclear how the male human body will react to the injected formulation over long periods of use. While this new layered contraceptive was tested on rats, a species that shares 90% of their genes with humans, there are still significant differences in physiology. Thus it is difficult to conclude its effectiveness without human clinical trials. Furthermore, the prolonged sustainability of using this new method remains a mystery, as dangerous side effects from continuous EDTA injection are known to be possible. Yet, despite these drawbacks, it is important to understand that this research sheds new light on the future of birth control and may save many more millions from unintended pregnancy.
While the research seems promising, it is important to consider the limitations of this study. As of now, it is still unclear how the male human body will react to the injected formulation over long periods of use. While this new layered contraceptive was tested on rats, a species that shares 90% of their genes with humans, there are still significant differences in physiology. Thus it is difficult to conclude its effectiveness without human clinical trials. Furthermore, the prolonged sustainability of using this new method remains a mystery, as dangerous side effects from continuous EDTA injection are known to be possible. Yet, despite these drawbacks, it is important to understand that this research sheds new light on the future of birth control and may save many more millions from unintended pregnancy.
Featured Image Source: freestocks.org
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