A NEW male birth control pill has been declared "safe, reversible - and has few side-effects", experts have revealed.

The drug - which could be the first daily pill of its kind - could be available within a decade, they said.

1 The first male contraceptive pill has been found to be 'safe, reversible - and won't harm sex drive', in early clinical trials Credit: Corbis - Getty

It lowered blokes’ hormones to the point where they would stop producing sperm after 60 days.



It's reversible

It is a modified testosterone that aims to decrease sperm production but preserves libido.

And the drug effects were reversed when men stopped the treatment, the scientists discovered.

The drug – 11-beta-MNTDC – is being developed by the Los Angeles Biomed Research Institute.

Forty volunteers came off the contraceptive pill after just one month, so medics could assess its safety.

Some fellas developed acne, tiredness and headaches. And a few reported a slightly lower sex drive.

But none suffered severe side-effects and they continued to have as much sex as before.

Pill could be available within a decade

Dr Christina Wang, lead researcher, said: “Our results suggest that this pill will decrease sperm production while preserving libido.

“Safe, reversible hormonal male contraception should be available in about 10 years.”

Her colleague Prof Stephanie Page, said the side-effects of lower testosterone levels were "minimal".

She said: "11-beta-MNTDC mimics testosterone through the rest of the body but is not concentrated enough in the testes to support sperm production.

"The goal is to find the compound that has the fewest side effects and is the most effective.

"We are developing two oral drugs in parallel in an attempt to move the (contraceptive medicine) field forward."

Taking control

The Family Planning Association hailed the trial a step in the right direction.

A spokesman told The Sun: "FPA welcome any new method of contraception that allows men to take greater responsibility for male contraception.

"We believe lots of men would be interested in trying new methods of contraception that will allow them to ease the burden of responsibility for their partners."

More options needed for blokes

It marks the latest step in the quest by scientists to create more contraceptive options for men.

Currently, the only methods available to blokes are condoms, and in extreme cases vasectomy.

Around 11,000 men have vasectomies on the NHS every year. The 15-minute op, usually carried out under local anaesthetic, involves cutting or sealing the tubes that carry sperm.

Now, a number of different studies are now focusing their efforts on finding a new answer.

Earlier this year experts at Edinburgh Uni revealed a new contraceptive gel for men could be available in three to five years.

Blokes could rub the gel into their arms to stop their partners getting pregnant.

The ointment contains a hormone that cuts men's sperm count to zero - and 80 couples are currently trialling the gel.

Prof Richard Anderson - who helped developed it - said: "It will let men share responsibility for avoiding unwanted pregnancies and give control over when to become a dad.

"And a gel may be more convenient than the repeated injections of previous trials."

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The gel takes four months to completely halt sperm production.

Sperm levels then return to normal within six months of stopping using the gel, Prof Anderson's team said,

The new findings were presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in New Orleans and are published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

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