Ultrasound waves may prove to be an effective contraceptive for men, stopping sperm but ultimately wearing off
A male contraceptive that lasts for six months and is temporary may be found in the form of ultrasound waves, reports the Telegraph.
A one-off hit of ultrasound waves every six months could prevent a man’s testes from producing sperm and leave the man infertile temporarily, say scientists. It would wear off and would have no bad side affects, the researchers believe. However, the long-term effects are still unknown, such as whether a man’s fertility would return after multiple uses over the years.
"We think this could provide men with up to six months of reliable, low-cost, non-hormonal contraception from a single round of treatment,” said Dr James Tsuruta, from the University of North Carolina.
"Our long-term goal is to use ultrasound from therapeutic instruments that are commonly found in sports medicine or physical therapy clinics as an inexpensive, long-term, reversible male contraceptive suitable for use in developing to first world countries," he also said.
It’s still very early days yet, but the team has received a US$100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for further research.
