Hormonal male contraception

• The demand for availability of efficient and safe contraceptive methods is strengthened by the predic-tions made by the United Nations regarding the future growth of the human population. So far, women are not only the main victims of the unsafe procedures related to terminating unwished pregnancies but do also carry the main responsibility for family planning. There is a significant desire among men for sharing this responsibility and a substantial proportion of females are willing to trust their male partners in regard to the use of contracep-tion. Therefore, there is a need for developing new reversible, safe, effective, acceptable, affordable and available methods of male contraception. Thus, hormonal manipulation resulting in the suppression of sperm production seems, so far, to be the most feasible approach to achieve the above-mentioned goal. Several strategies of such hormonal manipulation have been tested. Most of them are based on the administration of more or less supra-physiological doses of exogenous testosterone, alone or in combination with other means of endocrine suppression of gonadotropin secretion. Although, so far, the goal of hormonal male contraception fulfilling the above-mentioned criteria, has not yet been achieved; continuing development of new molecules, gives hope for the near future.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Farmakologi och toxikologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Pharmacology and Toxicology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Azoospermia

Contraception

Gestagens

Gonadotropins

Hormonal

Male

Semen quality

Side effects

Testosterone

Publication and Content Type

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