The end of the vasectomy is on the horizon after scientists announced human trials for a new contraceptive injection for men.
The simple process, which takes just a few seconds, involves injecting a harmless gel into the tube carrying the man’s sperm to create a blockage. Unlike a vasectomy, the process can be reversed quickly by a second injection that dissolves the gel barrier, immediately restoring fertility.
When rhesus macaques were injected and then allowed to mate freely for two years, no infants were conceived.
Now scientists at the Parsemus Foundation in California are beginning trials on men to see if the process is equally successful in humans. The injection could eventually be offered on the NHS if it gains regulatory approval.
Prof Adam Balen, chairman of the British Fertility Society, said: “If free of side effects then this novel approach has the potential for great promise as a male contraceptive.” The results of the primate study were published in the journal Basic and Clinical Andrology.
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