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Male pill: The scientist working on 'progress for humanity' (www.bbc.com)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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A Welsh scientist working on a new male pill wants to reduce the burden on women of protecting against unwanted pregnancies.

Prof Chris Barratt is leading research on a non-hormonal drug which prevents sperm cells from reaching an egg.

His team at the University of Dundee has received significant funding from the Bill and Melina Gates Foundation.

"It's been a very poorly researched topic for 40 or 50 years," Prof Barratt said, but society has changed.

His team's research could see men given a gel or a pill that would affect the sperm cell, effectively disabling its function.

Instead of targeting the production of sperm, his research focuses on slowing the sperm cells' swimming action down and making them similar to those in infertile patients.

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[+] [email protected] -19 points 10 months ago (15 children)

There have been several attempts at this over the years and at the final hurdle they always fail because men refuse to deal with any of the side effects (but are happy for us to continue to do so), and/or with the toxic idea of it being "emasculating".

And if it ever did get past those hurdles, it might work for couples in a long term trusting relationship, but I, nor any other woman I know, would trust some random guy to have either taken the pill and/or be honest about it. If "stealthing" is a thing, believe that people would lie about taking a pill. Even if it had to be taken on the spot, some people would come up with ways to fake it. I'm not going to risk it, and I'm in the UK where we still have semi-reasonable access to abortion, I can't imagine anyone with more restricted access being willing to..

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (3 children)

You have absolutely no idea if the side effects are comparable between male and female birth control pills. Nobody does. Maybe stop to consider the that side effects might be really bad, before just invalidating the experience of all those who have tested it?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

That info is pretty easy to find. The side effects included acne, mood swings, mood disorders, and suicidal thoughts. They’re the same symptoms that women’s birth control causes. Women also face weight gain and a risk of blood clots.

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