The most common form of female contraception against unwanted pregnancies is known as “the Pill ” Taken orally on a daily basis, it containsthe hormones estrogenand progesterone, whichwork to prevent ovulation The Pill also makes theuterus less likely to acceptan embryo, and it thickensthe mucus in the cervix, thus making it more difficult for sperm to reach an egg.
An equivalent male Pill has been in development since the 1960s This works in a similar way to the female Pill by using synthetic hormones to alter the body’s chemical balancein order to stop the production of sperm.
The reason why women take the Pill and not men is because the reproductive system of women is cyclical, regulated by the menstrual cycle, and produces only one egg permonth, making women fertile for only about forty-eight hours per month It was therefore easier for scientists to produce a drug to control this cycle than to control the fertilityof men, who produce millions of sperm every day Producing a drug to control this process, and yet allow it to be reversiblelater, has proven to be difficult Under tests, the male Pillca used a high rate of permanent infertility, while other side effects were kidney and digestive problems, muscle fatigueand paralysis, along with a loss of libido and a decrease in facial hair To combat this, tests were conducted by introducing the male hormone testosterone into the Pill, which reducedsome side effects but did not stop the infertility problem
The Chinese ceased their research into the male Pill in 1986, and in 1998 the World Health Organization recommended that research should be abandoned because of the unacceptable side effects.
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