Here's what you need to know about the new male contraceptive pill
A contraceptive pill for men could soon be available. Read this before you decide whether you would take it or not.
Tests conducted at the University of Washington in Seattle have brought scientists closer to developing a viable male contraceptive pill than ever before.
The pill is called dimethandrolone undecanoate (DAMU) and it was tested on 100 men between the ages of 18 and 50 over a period of 28 days.
Professor Stephanie Page, the senior investigator in the study, told The Telegraph: 'DMAU is a major step forward in the development of a once-daily "male pill".'
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One of the major concerns for scientists trying to develop this pill has been the fast metabolism of men, which means that any hormones introduced into their systems would be eliminated before it could have the desired effects. With DAMU, this is not a problem. The pill has a strong enough efficacy for one daily dose, similar to the pill currently available for women. For it to be truly effective, scientists say it must be taken with meals.
In this test, DAMU was found to have no adverse effects on the livers and kidneys of subjects. DAMU also did not have a negative effect on the men's sex drive, allaying another concern that researchers have had in the development of the pill.
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Watch the video below to hear how DAMU is proposed to work.
If future trials of DAMU prove successful and the 'male pill' makes it onto the market, will you to take it?