Male oral contraceptive

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A male oral contraceptive is not medically available to the public, although several forms are in various stages of research and development.[citation needed]

Botanical compounds

  • In 1980, a test was successfully performed on male rats using leaves from the neem tree.[1]
  • In 1995, researchers isolated compounds from a Chinese plant called Tripterygium wilfordii.[2]
  • In 2002, researchers fed extracts from the seeds of papaya fruits (Carica papaya) to monkeys. Subsequently, the monkeys had no sperm in their ejaculate. [3]
  • In 2002, tests were performed on male rats using oleanolic acid, extracted from Eugenia jambolana, a tree in the southern part of Africa. The tests demonstrated that the chemical was found to reversibly lower the rats' sperm motility without affecting the sperm count.[4]
  • Pills made from gossypol, a compound found in cotton seeds, have been abandoned as a potential male contraceptive because the compound was proven to cause permanent infertility.[5]

Pharmaceutical tests

Research on sperm

  • Dr. George Witman has performed research on sperm tail proteins required for motility.[7]
  • Dr. David Claphamhas performed research on sperm-specific ion exchange channels needed for hyperactivation.[8]
  • Dr. Joseph Hall performed research on sperm head enzymes needed to recognize an egg.[9]

References

See also


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