A male contraceptive pill could be on the horizon, as a new scientific study reveals a compound capable of blocking sperm production in mice which could one day be used by humans.
Scientists from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a tiny molecule that yields a quick yet perfectly reversible decrease in sperm count in rodents.
The beacon of gender equality, the compound, known as JQ1, infiltrates male testes cells and temporarily made the mice in the experiment infertile as the dose produced fewer and less mobile sperm. The result is non-hormonal birth control; furthermore the effects of it can be reversed or stopped anytime. "Within one to two months [after discontinuing the drug], there was complete restoration in testicular size, sperm number, sperm motility and – importantly – fertility," Dr. James Bradner, an author on the study told the Huffington Post. "The litter size was normal, and there were no obvious, adverse symptoms in these animals," he added.
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