Long-acting testosterone/progestin combinations show great promise as contraceptives
Any suggestion that men cannot be trusted with contraceptive responsibility ignores the widespread use of existing methods which involve their cooperation -- condoms, periodic abstinence and interrupted intercourse are used by millions of couples worldwide.1 For those wanting an alternative to these methods, only female contraceptive methods, permanent sterilisation or "natural" methods have been available. A wider choice of effective methods would be highly desirable, and male hormonal contraception (MHC) is likely to offer a reliable alternative in the near future.
Correspondence:
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- World Health Organization Task Force on Methods for the Regulationof Male Fertility. Contraceptive efficacy of testosterone-inducedazoospermia in normal men. Lancet 1990; 336: 955-959.
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- World Health Organization Task Force on Methods for the Regulationof Male Fertility. Contraceptive efficacy of testosterone-inducedazoospermia and oligozoospermia in normal men. FertilSteril 1996; 65: 821-829.
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- Amory JK, Bremner WJ. The use of testosterone as a malecontraceptive. Baillieres Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998; 12:471-484.
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- Handelsman DJ, Farley TMM, Peregoudov A, et al. World HealthOrganization Task Force on Methods for the Regulation of MaleFertility. Factors in non-uniform induction of azoospermia bytestosterone enanthate in normal men. Fertil Steril 1995;63: 125-133.
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- Anderson RA, Wallace AM, Wu FCW. Comparison between testosteroneenanthate-induced azoospermia and oligozoospermia in a malecontraceptive study. III. Higher 5a-reductase activity inoligozoospermic men administered supraphysiological doses oftestosterone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 81: 902-908.
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- Handelsman DJ, Conway AJ, Howe CJ, et al. Establishing the minimumeffective dose and additive effects of depot progestin insuppression of human spermatogenesis by a testosterone depot. JClin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 81: 4113-4121.
- 8.
- Wu FCW, Farley TMM, Peregoudov A, et al. Effects of testosteroneenanthate in normal men: experience from a multicentrecontraceptive efficacy study. Fertil Steril 1996; 65:626-636.
- 9.
- Bebb RA, Anawalt BD, Christensen RB, et al. A promising malecontraceptive approach: combined administration of testosteroneand levonorgestrel. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 81:757-762.
- 10.
- Meriggiola MC, Bremner WJ, Paulsen CA, et al. Cyproterone acetateand testosterone enanthate as a potentially highly effective malecontraceptive. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996, 81: 3018-3023.
- 11.
- -methyl-19-nortestosterone acetate administered by subdermal implant to healthy men. Hum Reprod1999, 14: 2200-2206.
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