Are there any contraceptive pills for men? What are the effects of male oral contraceptive pills?

Contraception is a skill that couples must master after marriage. In order to effectively prevent pregnancy, women usually take contraceptive pills before and after sexual intercourse. So, are there contraceptive pills for men?

Are there birth control pills for men?

Male oral contraceptives are oral pills designed for men to take. They inhibit sperm production and reduce the number of sperm, resulting in oligospermia or even azoospermia and inability to conceive.

Male contraceptive pills work in different ways:

1. Long-term and excessive use of gonadotropin-releasing hormones can inhibit spermatogenesis by down-regulating the secretion of pituitary gonadotropins (follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone).

2. Use corresponding antibodies to follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone to block the effects of these hormones. However, since these two hormones contain the same α subunit, which is the same as the α subunit of thyroid-stimulating hormone, when the antibody cannot specifically counteract this hormone, it may cause unnecessary side effects.

3. Use autologous hormones, such as testosterone alone or in combination with progesterone, which inhibits the pituitary gland from secreting gonadotropin and inhibits spermatogenesis through negative feedback. Regular injection of testosterone enanthate can achieve anti-fertility effects, which can be restored after discontinuation of the drug. It is a promising male contraceptive. The above drugs all interfere with the spermatogenesis process by inhibiting the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. The drugs are expensive and inconvenient to use, and at the same time inhibit the function of testicular interstitial cells, resulting in a decrease in testosterone levels, decreased libido or sexual dysfunction, so further research and solutions are still needed. Among them, although testosterone also inhibits the function of interstitial cells, it has a substitution effect itself, so it does not affect sexual function and has a good prospect for use.

4. Cottonpol, a drug that selectively inhibits spermatogenic epithelium, was first discovered by Chinese scholars to have an anti-fertility effect, and a large number of studies and clinical trials have been conducted in China. This research has attracted international attention. It is a male oral contraceptive that is cheap and easy to use, but it also has certain side effects. All male contraceptives have similar shortcomings, that is, they take a long time to take effect. This is because the above drugs have no killing effect on the sperm that has been produced; and because the spermatogenesis process takes a certain amount of time, the recovery of fertility is also slow after stopping the drug.