Men could soon be able to take a version of the contraceptive Pill that has no side-effects, scientists claim. They have developed a drug which temporarily stops sperm production without causing any long-term harm to male fertility. Scientists have been trying to come up with a male equivalent of the Pill for years, with limited success. Most of the drugs recently developed are jabs, not pills, and many contain steroids which have damaging side-effects including heart disease and impotence. But unlike previous inventions, this one does not contain steroids and has not been shown to have any side-effects. So far it has only been tested on mice, but scientists hope to carry out long-term studies on humans within a few years. The pill, developed by researchers at Columbia University in New York, impairs the male body’s ability to use vitamin A, which is vital for the production of sperm. Although vitamin A is also crucial for vision, the drug’s developers say it will not affect sight. They also claim a man would start producing sperm again almost as soon as he stopped taking the pill. So far the tests on mice have shown the pill is effective, with no negative results. As it is still in the early stages of development, its creators do not know how often men would need to take the pill, but it would probably be taken once a day, as with the conventional Pill for women. However, scientists may try to develop a stronger version that could be released into the body gradually, and would only need to be taken once a week. Dr Debra Wolgemuth, from the university’s medical centre, said: ‘we have seen no side-effects so far, and our mice have been mating [after testing] quite happily.’ She said the main advantage the pill had over other male contraceptives being developed was that it does not affect levels of the sex hormone testosterone. Altering testosterone levels has been linked to changes in cholesterol levels, which can raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It can also affect a man’s sex drive and lead to weight gain. Dr Wendy Chung, who is also working on the pill, said: ‘An additional benefit of our compound is that it can be taken orally as a pill, avoiding the injection process. ‘It also appears to have a very rapid effect on sperm production and an even more rapid recovery when fertility is desired. ‘We hope that in the not- so-distant future, we may finally have more choices for people.’ Experts believe that a male version of the Pill would give couples more choice and place more responsibility on the man rather than the woman. Another method in development involves a monthly injection of testosterone which temporarily blocks sperm production. The scientists in Beijing behind the jab claim it is just as effective as the female Pill or a condom. But a third of the 1,000 men taking part in its trial dropped out – possibly because they disliked having to go for an injection once a month. Source: Dailymail.com