It's Easy to Swallow
 Scottish scientists have finally perfected a safe "male birth control pill". It could be available from family planning clinics and GPs' surgeries within three years.
A team at Edinburgh University's Contraceptive Development Network announced their breakthrough yesterday. They have been testing the pioneering birth control implant method for a year.
Project head Dr Melanie Walton said: "This trial is going really well. When the implant is inserted, the men's sperm count goes down to nothing. But there are not some of the side-effects we have seen before with other attempts."
depo proveraThe concept is similar to depo-provera used by women for birth control. At the start of the project, each of the 36 volunteers had one progesterone rod implanted under the skin at the top of their arms to prevent them producing sperm.
They were also given a dose of testosterone to make sure their sex drive was not adversely affected by the hormones. Half of the group were given the male hormone in an implant form, while the other half had tiny pellets inserted into their stomachs every three months.
Within four months their sperm count had been temporarily reduced to zero. Once the implant is removed the sperm count will return to normal after three months. Side-effectsDr Walton said that the volunteers had not experienced side-effects, such as weight gain and acne, as had been seen in previous studies. She added that the progesterone implant stops the testicle producing sperm and testosterone.
The research team discovered the testosterone implant gives them back enough testosterone so that they feel normal and their sex drive is normal. However, none of the male birth control test subjects developed a fondness for Oprah.
Dr Walton said that the implant contraceptive could be the answer for men who might not take a pill reliably.
Oh really? I know some guys who in college could make the same claim about some of the girls they dated.
Paul Ellis - Men's Health 
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