What are the contraceptive methods for men

Even with the changes and improvements that have been suffered over time, condoms have been used for more than 400 years and, since the 19th century, they have become the main contraceptive method worldwide. From the lamb intestines with which the first condoms were made to the most modern ones made of latex, polyurethane and with spermicides, the greatest advantage of condoms is that in addition to being contraceptives they also serve a great function as a method for prevent the transmission of diseases sexually transmitted.

Basically, condoms or prophylactics are a sheath that is placed on the penis and that works as a barrier to prevent the passage of sperm during sexual relations. The characteristics of the condom that have made them become the most used contraceptive method in the world are that:

They have no adverse effects outside of those people who are allergic to latex. They are easy to use. They are economical. They protect against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis.

With perfect use, the annual pregnancy rate using the condom is 2%, or in other words, it is effective in 98% of cases. However, if its use is inappropriate or its care is deficient, this rate can increase to 18%. They are also recommended as a method to avoid infections of sexual origin. In this sense, they do not offer full protection either, but they are effective in greatly reducing the probability of infection.

Vasectomy is, among effective techniques, the second most used contraceptive method aimed at men in the world. It’s about a surgical procedure through which the vas deferens, the ducts through which the semen travels, are cut, so that the exit of the sperm is prevented and, consequently, the risk of pregnancy ends.

After this operation, it is recommended to use other methods for the next 3 months, however, after this time their effectiveness is very close to 100%. But if it is so safe and comfortable, how come it is not as popular as the condom? The fact is that a vasectomy is a irreversible method In most cases, something that means it is only used for those men who no longer want to have children in the future. In addition to this we must add that at an economic level it is also a much more expensive technique.

Beyond this, it must be taken into account that any operation carries certain risks. Although there are generally no complications and this type of operation hardly causes infections, going through the operating room always carries implicit risks.

The contraceptive pill for men has been an old promise of the scientific world that, time after time, has been extended without solid results. For many years, different laboratories have been investigating to find a way to market contraceptive pills for men that act just as female pills have done for more than 70 years.

In this sense, the male reproductive system is more difficult to predict than that of women. These have more manageable and predictable hormonal cycles, while they are fertile throughout the month, producing sperm continuously. Despite this, it seems that a group of American researchers is closer than ever to finding an effective pill for men.

Research sources affirm that they are getting closer to finding the definitive solution and that It’s just a matter of time that they can develop the male pill. If it is true and if it can finally be marketed, it will become excellent news so that men can also take charge of family planning, as well as for women who for health reasons cannot consume female contraceptive pills.

Male contraceptive patches as well as contraceptive injections have been a method that has been talked about a lot in recent times. After the announcement by a team of researchers who claimed that they had found a way to prevent men’s fertility reversibly with the administration of an injection and the subsequent implantation of testosterone patches, all the spotlights fell on this great medical advance.

But once again, the commercialization of this method – scheduled for 2016 – has been delayed and to date we do not know if it will be available in the near future. The point is that because of the side effects it caused In men they have made them have to take a step back.

The paradox of the case is that the side effects of this drug on men do not differ from those of the contraceptive pill on women, especially mood changes, although acne or alterations in libido can also be added. Even so, the medical committee in charge of evaluating this contraceptive method for men considered that these side effects were too many to be able to market it.

If there are no new scientific findings in the near future, for the moment we will have to settle for condoms and vasectomies, the only two approved reliable methods.

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