Ultrasound As a Male Contraceptive 599
TeslaBoy writes "The BBC has an article about using ultrasound aimed at the testicles as a reversible male contraceptive. This can last for six months. With a grant of $100,000 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, researchers at the University of North Carolina will push ahead with more clinical trials, fine tuning, and safety tests."
Re:First Post (Score:4, Informative)
How exactly is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation connected to Microsoft? The largest transparently-operated private foundation in the world doesn't have a lot in common with Microsoft Corp. In fact, there's only one thing I can think of that they do have in common.
Club Of Rome Fascism (Score:1, Informative)
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's guiding philosophy is the Limits To Growth [wikipedia.org] as described in the '72 book commissioned by the Club of Rome. The interest in the third world is the reduction in population growth to head off the bloody global competition for resources. Predominately the approach for this has been in trying to raise the conditions of living to first world standards, as population growth in the first world is basically nil or declining. However, the dark side to Limits To Growth (or I guess I should say "darker") is the prediction that this will fail and only a China style One Child Policy and mass sterilization programs will be effective for limiting population growth. As such, seeing that they are funding this kind of research now is a very bad sign.
Re:Ultrasound Aimed at the Testicles (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, this is the first thing they do if there's any suspicion of testicular cancer. I had some aches and pains and a little lump on Rightie, so I was sent off right away to have a scrotal ultrasound.
Does anyone know if/how that sort of diagnostic ultrasound differs from this? They didn't say ANYTHING to me about it affecting fertility.
Re:A word to the wise: (Score:5, Informative)
Re:A word to the wise: (Score:5, Informative)
not reliable enough. The dude just needs to get a vasectomy.
I's a routine procedure. hell, my doctor and I were joking during the procedure.
Unless he wants to have more kids. That's a completely different discussion.
Re:A word to the wise: (Score:4, Informative)
I've been married for 20 years and we still have sex a few times a week.
Re:A word to the wise: (Score:3, Informative)
The vasectomy fright is so overblown. I had it done 2 months ago.
Mine had done about 1000 as well. Very experienced. Ended up hurting for two straight weeks.
Re:First Post (Score:1, Informative)
Mary was the one who was immaculately conceived, not Jesus. It's how Jesus wasn't afflicted with original sin, because otherwise Mary would have given it to him with her filthy human vagina.
Re:Sign me up! (Score:5, Informative)
Here, I will pretend like you're not a total douche, merely ignorant, and try to explain things politely:
The implant is hormonal birth control. Many women cannot take HBC, or only some HBC, due to extreme side effects such as depression or mood swings, weight gain, and heavy bleeding. Only some women stop getting their period on the implant - up to 20% actually have heavier periods than before. Also, HBC puts you at higher risk of clotting problems (such as heart attacks, strokes, and embolisms), which means that women with other risk factors may want to avoid it. And women on certain medications, such as anti-epileptics, can't use the implant.
Other women may simply prefer other forms of birth control for other reasons. For example, some women actually appreciate getting a "Hey, you're still not pregnant" reminder every month. Some are uncomfortable with getting something implanted in their body. While their preferences may inconvenience you, it is far from "negligent" for them to make that decision for themselves.
Perhaps if you feel you are having to "endure" your significant other, you should let her know that. In those exact words. I'm sure she'll be refreshed by your honesty and see you in a completely new light, and will happily rearrange her biology for your convenience.
Re:Urm, yeah (Score:4, Informative)
I suspect a lot of men would rather take a pill or get a shot. After all, the ultrasonic device is causing actual damage while the pill just convinces something to not be so active. In practice it is probably not a big deal, but the point I was making is that the description is cringe worthy. I sure hope the pamphlets are worded better.
The more serious problem will be, as I said, that it can easily go un-noticed when the man becomes fertile again until it is too late.
Re:A word to the wise: (Score:3, Informative)
Getting vasectomies reversed is rather trivial and is far easier and safer than tubal ligation.
Re:I'll need something a little more definite... (Score:2, Informative)
I'm reminded of Gossypol, which was investigated as a potential male contraceptive pill. It's a toxin that damages the seminiferous epithelium, so no sperm are able to mature. Perhaps an ultrasound could do the same... Unfortunately, it turns out that it was a little too effective, and if your sperm count hit zero then the damage was too severe and regeneration wasn't possible, leading to permanent sterility. It seems plausible that damage by any other means would be similar...
That said, you sperm count doesn't need to hit zero for an effective contraceptive. Of the ~100 - 500 million sperm per shot, 90% are normally viable but only about 1000 of those make it to the egg, and collaborative effort is necessary to penetrate it. OTOH, I suppose you could be ungodly "lucky" and impregnate a woman with a sperm count in the thousands, but that's probably not worth considering (although it is a reason that it wouldn't be 100% effective).
Re:A word to the wise: (Score:4, Informative)
While reversing it is easy enough, about 50% of men who do it remain infertile due to the body becoming hostile to sperm while it was leaking into the body rather going through the channel.