SHESPEAKS Your Power to Influence

When it comes to birth control methods, women know that there are many choices out there tailored to their needs. Now scientists are working on a birth control shot for men that has proven effective, but still may have some kinks to work out.

CNN reports about the male birth control shot that proved to be effective in preventing pregnancy after a recent trial. Participants involved in the recent study were given injections of 1,000 milligrams of a synthetic form of testosterone and 200 milligrams of norethisterone enanthate every 8 weeks. The hormone treatments brought most men’s sperm down to a low enough level to be considered infertile and it was concluded that the hormone treatment was effective in about 96% of those that continued.

Though effective, the shot caused some side effects that prompted researchers to halt their study for the time being. The most prominent side effect was depression and mood disorders in 3% of them the participants.

Elisabeth Lloyd, a professor of biology and an adjunct professor of philosophy, explains how the new drug’s side effects remind her of what is being found out about the female birth control pill. She references one of the latest studies saying, “Twenty percent or 30% of the women who take oral birth control pills experience depression and have to take medication for it. So the difference just struck me. They terminated this study once it showed 3% depression for the men.”

What do you think of the male birth control shot?

Do you think scientists should continue studying this new birth control method despite the depression and mood disorder side effect?