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Male birth control pill underway
Soon it may not be just women remembering to pop
the pill everyday.
The
University of Massachusetts Medical School has
signed a licensing agreement with the Norwegian
company SpermaTech to produce a male birth control
pill that will prevent a sperm's ability to swim.
Dr.
Michael Cohen, UMMS spokesman, said the drug's
design has been finalized but it will take time
before it is ready to hit the market.
"We're
not at the stage where we have a pill yet,"
Cohen said. "It's impossible to predict how
long drug development will take - the soonest
will probably be five to seven years."
The
new drug will target a protein found in sperm
cells that controls the sperm's ability to swim.
UMMS doctors have found that deactivating this
protein hinders the sperm's ability to travel
through a female's reproductive tract to fertilize
an egg.
Cohen
said that tests to deactivate the protein have
successfully been performed on lab mice.
"We
support this research on a number of levels,"
he said. "We very much support alternate
forms of contraception ... I think there are many
men who will find this to be a good option."
Planned
Parenthood League of Massachusetts spokeswoman
Erin Rowland said a male birth control pill would
modernize sexual relationships.
"It
would be revolutionary if a male birth control
pill was developed," Rowland said. "It
would offer a new opportunity for males to share
the responsibility for contraception ... contraception
for men is very limited."
Rowland
said that the pill would be available at Planned
Parenthood as long as it was safe to take.
"Our
top priority's with patient safety," she
said.
Rowland
said she fears ignorance of the pill's use could
lead to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases.
"[The
pill is] not a substitute for a condom,"
she said.
Some
Boston University students, although excited about
the pill, share the same concern.
College
of General Studies sophomore Danny Kim said that
he thinks the pill will have a positive impact
as long as it is used carefully.
"I
think it's a good idea but I'm worried about the
side effects and the increase in STDs," he
said. "I mean, if people aren't using condoms,
then STDs will spread. But it's still a good idea."
Kim
said he would be open to taking the pill because
"I'm an open-minded guy."
CGS
sophomore Riley Clark said the pill would be a
great alternative to condoms to prevent pregnancies.
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