Male birth control study reveals several side effects

An experimental birth control shot for men has been fund nearly 96 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy, but the study was ended earlier after several volunteers reported side effects like mood swings and altered libido.

In the study, researchers found that only 4 pregnancies resulted among 266 men who used the contraceptive. The method involved a series of shots/injections that effectively lowered the volunteers’ sperm count.

However, men involved in the study failed to handle side effects that women have been enduring for decades. The study was carried out from 2008 to 2012, but the researchers stopped enrolling new participants in 2011 due to high rate of reported side effects. Adverse symptoms even prompted 20 couples to drop out of the study.

The Endocrine Society, which oversees the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, noted, “Despite the adverse effects, more than 75% of participants reported being willing to use this method of contraception at the conclusion of the trial.”

The long list o adverse effects included mood disorders like depression, increased libido, acne, pain at the injection site, pain in muscles and feel of sickness.

The findings of the study were reported in a recent edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.