Test + Progestin as Male Birth Control?

[NightsAndWeekends]

It's commonly known that after being 'on' a moderate Test cycle for a while, you are much less likely to have a child. I have seen contraceptive effectiveness rates from 90% all the way up to 99.2% as in this clipping from an unspecified web source :

"'A few years ago, the Lancet Medical Journal of England reported that they found testosterone (the proto-type anabolic steroid) to be a remarkably effective form of male birth control. Researchers conducted a 12 month study which included 270 men and determined that weekly injections of the hormone testosterone were 'safe, stable, and effective.' They dis-covered that weekly testosterone injections had a success rate of 99.2% as a birth control method. That makes it more effective than the birth control pill (97%) and much more effective than condoms (88%). The study also revealed that the effects of the contraceptive injections were entirely reversible upon discontinu-ing administration of the drug and that the testosterone injec-tions produced minimal side effects."

With the wide variation I've seen, as well as anecdotal reports of conception while 'on', I think it would be foolish to rely on test alone as a primary means of birth control. However, recently I have seen reports of studies that show that adding progestin to a testosterone program, increases the effectiveness of testosterone as a contraceptive agent to the point where it could be relied on as a primary means of birth control. If you google 'male birth control pill' you can see what I mean. Some of the studies talk about a pill that includes testosterone and progestin which may hit the market in a few years. One of the others described a weekly injection of 400 mg Test as well as a daily dose of progestin. I don't remember the dose of progestin, but it was in line with that found in a typical female birth control pill.

I would love to find a way to keep my wife off of the pill since I don't like what it does to her. I've also been seeing that many are starting to question the validity of cycling testosterone in favor of staying 'on' for longer periods of time. The logic goes like this :

Once your natural systems are shut down, as happens during a typical 10-12 week cycle, it doesn't make that much difference if they stay down for a longer period of time. You are going to need to kick your natural systems into gear and with proper PCT, this is not much harder if you have been on for much longer periods of time. In fact, the logic goes, it is harder on your body to turn your gonadal systems on and off repeatedly as happens when cycling.

I'm not currently wanting to have children, but I definitely want to keep that option open in the future. At the same time, I love just about everything about being 'on' a moderate dose of test, and if I could, in good conscience, stay on for longer than ten weeks at a time, I'd jump at the chance. Add to this the possibility of not needing to worry about birth control while 'on' and I am looking at a really appealing proposition. So, the questions I need to answer are :

1. How long can I be on a dose of 400 mg/ week of Test without endangering myself.

2. What kind of side effects would I see by adding a daily dose of progestin? I know progestin is a synthetic variant of progesterone and that progesterone is generally something to be avoided as a man. The studies out there on its use of a male birth control agent are reporting no signifiant side effects.

[mr.nitro]

I read a study where they took a group of men looking to concive children and gave them testosterone injections, 50% of them where able to concive.

[gixxerboy]

bs do a survey on any aas board any you will see how many have gotten a girl prego while on. I have twice.

[DLMCBBB]

NightsAndWeekends,

Better yet, learn your wife's cycle inside and an out, and preg wont be an issue IMO for both of you without having to resort to contraceptive measures. Mind you, this option would only work in stable relationships.

Dustin

[abbott737373]

I have heard that they use low dose test in england as a form of male birth control. My roomate just got his girl pregnant while she was on the pill and he was on 750mgs of test e and in the middle of his cycle. So i gues it does happen those 3% they warn you about. But me, im a betting man and i like to live on the edge so no way am i pulling ou

[swelty]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy

bs do a survey on any aas board any you will see how many have gotten a girl prego while on. I have twice.

theres your answer!!!! so i would recommend not dumping, it makes it stink

[NightsAndWeekends]

I'm aware that pregnancy can occur while on Test. The novel aspect of the protocol I am referring to is the addition of Progestin, which has been reported to act with the Test to provide a much more reliable solution.

The original article which got me thinking about this (pasted from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3167090.stm):
----------------------------------------------

Male contraceptive '100% effective'

Scientists have developed a male contraceptive which was 100% effective and side-effect free in trials.

The hormonal treatment is a combination of an implant under the skin and injections - meaning men do not have to remember to take a pill every day.

Researchers from the Anzac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia, gave the treatment to a relatively small sample of 55 men for a year - and none of their partners became pregnant.

However, it will be some time before the treatment is widely available.


We welcome any advance in contraception, and particularly those that broaden the options for men to take responsibility
Liz Davies, Marie Stopes International
The treatment is a combination of an implant containing the male sex hormone testosterone, which was replaced every four months, and a three-monthly injection of a progestin, a hormone used in female contraceptive pills.

The reversible treatment works by making use of the body's own natural system which is involved in initiating puberty.

The combination of the two hormones temporarily turns off the normal signals from the brain that stimulate sperm production.

But the process also turns off the man's own testosterone production - so he needs to be given extra doses of the hormone to keep him healthy and maintain his sex drive.

In the study, none of the couples used any other form of contraception, and no serious side effects were seen.

Once the treatment was stopped, normal fertility levels returned within a few months.

Drug development

Professor David Handelsman, who led the research, said: "This is the first time a reversible male contraceptive that will suppress sperm production reliably and reversibly has been fully tested by couples.


'IT WAS MY TURN'
The Hains took part in the trial
Chris Hains, a Sydney policeman, is now the proud father of baby Connor.
But before he and his wife decided to start a family, they took part in the trial of the male contraceptive.
He said: "My wife Nicole was having problems on the female contraceptive pill so the doctor suggested she came off all contraceptive medication.
"It was an opportunity for me to take part in the trial, and take on the burden of contraception."
Around seven months after Chris stopped having the contraceptive injections, Mrs Hains became pregnant with their son Connor, who is now four months old.

Would you or the man in your life take the male contraceptive? Have your say here.
< "This shows the way for a final product to be a single injection containing testosterone and a progestin which will easily be given by local doctors on a three-four monthly basis and still maintain male sexual health.

He said it was now up to pharmaceutical companies to develop their research into a usable drug.

Longer and larger trials were also needed, he said.

Previous attempts to develop an effective and convenient male contraceptive have encountered problems over reliability and side effects, such as mood swings and a lowered sex drive.

Dr Richard Anderson, a specialist in reproductive medicine at the Medical Research Unit Human Reproduction Sciences Unit in Edinburgh, said: "It's a very significant step forward.

"Nobody else has done real efficacy studies for a long time - and at the end of the day, that's what you need to do."

"How soon it is available depends on how much the pharmaceutical companies are going to become involved.

"Once they start developing a product, it could be available in just a few years

Liz Davies, of Marie Stopes International, told the BBC: "We welcome any advance in contraception, and particularly those that broaden the options for men to take responsibility."

She said women were likely to feel able to trust their partners to have infrequent injections.

"Whether they would have confidence in a man having a pill every day is another thing."

The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

[DLMCBBB]

Bottom line is, if you ejaculate when she doesn't ovulate, it is impossible for her to ever get pregnant. Hence, there is no need for you to jump on the "male contraceptive" bandwagon.


Dustin