Scientists Make Progress on Male Birth Control Pill

Haim Breitbart, a medical researcher at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, has developed a drug that will temporarily incapacitate sperm cells in mice.

So far, the new pill dubbed the Bright Pill (a play on Brietbart's name) has been tested on animal models in a pre-clinical setting, and has been found to work wonderfully on mice. "What we found is that by treating the mice with our molecule we can get sterility for a long period of time; in the lower dose, about one month, and in the higher dose we found three months of sterility.

"Later on the male mouse can become fertile. It's reversible," he promises.

Provided in pill form, but also tested as an injection, the male birth control solution was administered in two treatments over three days: One day on, one day off, one day on. In the larger dose group, it took about a week until the effects manifested themselves, but most importantly, the treatment does not appear to in any way affect the sex drive or the sexual behavior of the mice who received it.


http://www.israel21c.org/201006238085/health/a-birth-control-pill-for-men via Popular Science | Image: NIH

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It would be nice for men to have a bit more control over their own reproduction.

All forms of birth control have a significant rate of failure, even abstinence. Redundant controls will reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancy.
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If you're having casual sex (i.e. outside a committed relationship), yeah both partners will have to be on birth control to be sure and you'd still need a condom for STDs. It seems kind of redundant but I guess better safe than sorry.
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As a man paranoid about having children prematurely, I find this will provide more reassurance that the worst doesn't happen. Men are currently powerless, if the condom breaks and the women isn't really on the pill then we just have to trust that the woman will get an abortion.
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Sadly, sleeping with a man who claims to be taking the "Male Pill" will stil require the woman to be on the pill or another form of birth control herself if she really wants to prevent pregnancy. Because who would take a guy at his word on this? No one.
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