The therapy contraceptive is for many couples a necessity. Where there is no desire for parenthood, or if this desire has already been sufficiently fulfilled, contraceptive therapy allows an approach to sexuality without the risk of (further) unwanted pregnancies. Until now, contraceptive therapies have mainly involved the female sex: estrogen-progestogen therapies, the so-called “pills”, are also widely used as oral contraceptives in various age groups. However, in recent decades there has been growing interest in therapies aimed at the male population: these therapies, if proven effective, could allow access to contraception even in couples where estrogen-progestogen therapy is contraindicated. Experiments conducted in recent years have identified various possible mechanisms of action and various drugs to be used: however, the tested drugs were soon abandoned, some due to the presence of side effects, some due to poor efficacy, some due to the need for long timing of administration before the desired action is achieved.
Therefore, it is no wonder that the marketing of such a coveted “pill” (in the colloquial meaning of “male pill”) has not happened so far. However, some researchers of the Department of Pharmacology of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York have demonstrated the ability to temporarily block sperm motility by administering a therapy based on an adenylate cyclase inhibitor. For the first time, the possibility of acting with a non-hormonal treatment to hinder male fertility has been demonstrated, with a rapid and temporary action so as to allow its use on request: however, this is a study conducted in animal models (in particular, in mice), but potentially extremely innovative and potentially capable of changing the clinical approach to contraception.
It is worth emphasizing, however, that this contraceptive method, similar to the “pills” currently in use in the female population, does not protect against the risk of sexually transmitted infections. However, Siams experts point out that some of these infections represent a potential risk for sexual and general health: this is the case with HIV, for example, but in a much more silent way than other infections of a more “silent” nature, such as papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which in some cases can lead to the onset of very serious diseases, such as cervical cancer. Therefore, although it is useful to broaden the range of therapeutic possibilities in the field of contraception, it is nonetheless essential not to underestimate the use of the condom in occasional or risky intercourse.
#Contraceptives #men #approach
