Lto non-hormonal male contraceptive pill has finally made its debut. In fact, phase 1 testing began in December 2023 at the YourChoice Therapeutics of San Francisco, a pioneering pharmaceutical company in the development of hormone-free products for contraception.
But what is it, how does it work, and does it have any side effects? We talked about it with Doctor Raffaela Di Pace, gynecologist, PhD in Physiopathology of Menopause and sexologist consultant.
From pill to “pill”
About 60 years ago the female contraceptive pill entered the world. Of a hormonal nature, it has always allowed women to control their fertility, separating sexuality from the reproductive function and therefore allowing women to experience their sexuality better.
Some attempts have been made in recent years to try to find an analogue for men, but hormonal pills have never given safety and effectiveness and total reversibility at the end of therapy.
How does the male pill work and why is it not hormonal unlike the one for women?
«Big news is coming. It is indeed phase 1 testing has just begun of a new male pill that represents an absolute innovation”, explains Doctor Di Pace.
«The mechanism of action in fact it is not hormonal but based on the inhibition of the alpha receptor ofretinoic acid, whose activation instead starts the spermiogenesis, therefore its blockage would prevent the production of sperm.
Is it safe or are there any side effects?
As we know, the female pill can only be taken following a precise medical history from the specialist, with clinical tests that exclude some cardiovascular and blood pressure pathologies already present in the patient. Those with hypertension, for example, should not take the pill or choose a low-dose one, obviously only on the doctor’s advice.
«The great innovation of this pill is represented by the non-hormonal mechanism of action which therefore does not involve direct effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis axis, thus not leading to the onset of side effects.
Proclinical animal studies have demonstrated a 99% effectiveness and one safety, with 100% return to normal reproductive function. The first human trial is therefore underway and will include 16 participants precisely to confirm these data on humans”, adds the gynecologist.
Why can Vitamin A deficiency promote infertility?
«The lack of vitamin A, which is a retinoid, can cause spermiogenesis and therefore fertility problems precisely through the activation of this same mechanism of action.
Would Italian men take it?
According to a 2021 study published in the Journal of Sex Research, the amount of men willing to take male contraceptives varies between 34% and 82.3%. And would Italian men be willing to take her?
«The concept of having to deal with contraception is still very far away among men, especially Italians, a cultural problem rather than a medical one. Some studies tell us that the percentage of men willing to take a contraceptive varies from 30 to 80%.
My opinion is that while there is certainly still a long way to go both for the diffusion of all contraceptive methods, and especially for male ones, certainly agreater attention is more evident in the younger generations both towards the contraception that of sexually transmitted diseases».
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