On trial, a Pill for men: 80 British couples test drug that frees women from the burden of family planning



Trials: Doctors believe a male contraceptive jab will liberate women from the burden of family planning by letting partners share responsibility

British couples are taking part in trials of a male contraceptive jab said to be as effective as the Pill.

Doctors believe it will liberate women from the burden of family planning by letting partners share responsibility.

Professor Richard Anderson, who is heading one of two year-long trials, said: ‘A lot of women may think it’s time men took their turn.’

The news will also be welcomed by women worried about the Pill’s links to breast cancer and fatal blood clots.



The drawback is that it depends on men making regular trips to their GP - and women trusting them to do so. Studies have shown that many men would also welcome a male jab or pill, while increasing the types of contraception available could help cut unplanned pregnancies.

But the shift in responsibility also raises the possibility of pregnant women trying to sue their former partners.

Sixty couples in Manchester and 20 in Edinburgh are taking part in the trials, part of intensive global research.



The contraceptive, given in two injections every two months, tricks the brain into shutting off sperm production.

It contains the male sex hormone testosterone and a man-made version of the female sex hormone progesterone and when the brain senses them, it reduces the levels of other hormones which control sperm production and maturation.

Doctors say it is effective in 99 per cent of cases and sperm counts should rapidly return to normal once the injections are stopped.



The jab is one of several male contraceptives being developed by drug companies eager for a share of the £20billion-plus spent globally each year on the female Pill.

Professor Anderson, of the University of Edinburgh, believes the jab will prove popular with both sexes.

But because it will not protect against sexually-transmitted infections such as chlamydia, it is most likely to appeal to those in a committed relationship.

The professor said: ‘When we carried out surveys of women, they were enormously enthusiastic.

‘The single most common reason was that they wanted to share the responsibility for contraception. You are not sleeping with men, you are sleeping with one particular man you are sharing your bank accounts and everything else with.

‘It’s not that women want to control contraception because they could be “left holding the baby”. In a strong relationship, you share everything, and this is part of it.’

No serious side-effects are expected from the jab, although some men may experience hot flushes, mood swings or acne.

Dr Allan Pacey, a Sheffield University expert on male fertility, said male contraceptives had proved more difficult to develop than female ones but researchers were now ‘homing in’ on the right combination of drugs.

He said: ‘Vasectomy is OK but although it is viewed as reversible it isn’t really, so it would be useful to have an alternative.’

‘The big sticking point is acceptability. I think there is a lot of education needed to convince men that this jab doesn’t make them less of a man.’

Experts say the jab is still at least five years away from the market.