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by Stephanie Watson

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:

Watson, Stephanie. "How the Male Birth-control Pill Will Work." 09 July 2005. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/male-bc-pill.htm> 18 July 2008.

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Non-hormonal Pills

Photo courtesy Georgia Reproductive Specialists
Fertilized egg

Because of the challenges of creating a hormonally-based male birth-control pill, researchers are looking into non-hormonal methods to lower sperm count or somehow disable the sperm so that they cannot fertilize an egg.

Progress in the latter method was announced by researchers at the University of Massachusetts in 2005. Their idea is to inactivate the tails that enable sperm to swim to the egg and fertilize it. When sperm form in the testes, they have their tails but they cannot yet move them. It's not until the sperm pass through the epididymis (the long, coiled tube that connects the testis to the vas deferens) that they are able to swim. Researchers have discovered that a protein, called Cs, "turns on" the sperm's tails on their journey through the epididymis.

The idea is to use a biochemical messenger to block this protein, leaving the sperm unable to swim but otherwise healthy. Animal studies so far have been promising. And unlike hormonal birth control, this technique poses little risk of side effects. Researchers now need to find the right messenger to achieve this task in human males.

Another form of male birth control targets the immune system. A protein called eppin, which is produced in the testes and epididymis, facilitates sperm maturation. Scientists at the University of Washington have been able to immunize monkeys against eppin. Monkeys that developed an immune response against eppin became infertile, and when they stopped receiving the vaccine injections, they regained their fertility.

Researchers are also looking at drugs that stop sperm production as an unintended side effect, such the cancer medication lonidamine. Although lonidamine is risky because it can have toxic side effects on the liver and kidneys, there are similar drugs that look more promising.

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