YNOT EUROPE – Israeli researchers have developed an oral contraceptive for men. The pill reportedly deactivates sperm before they reach the womb. The tablet must be taken only once every three months and could be on the market within three years. Human trials are expected to start next year.

According to reports, the pill does not rely on adjusting concentrations of the male hormone testosterone and the female hormone progesterone, but instead removes a sperm protein that is vital for conception. The researchers say in animal tests so far, the drug has proven 100-percent effective without causing the kinds of side effects — moodiness, depression and loss of sex drive — seen in men who currently are participating in a trial of an injected male contraceptive.

“Men dont cope well with side effects, and having side effects would probably put many off wanting to take a pill,” said researcher Haim Breitbart of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University. “We’ve had none of those problems with our pill.

“What we found is that by treating 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,” he explained. “The mice behaved nicely. They ate and had sex. All I can say is that we couldn’t see any behavioural side-effects. All their sex behavior was retained, which is a very important consideration for men.”

Another important consideration for human males when it comes to contraception: the memory factor. Surveys have indicated wives and girlfriends do not trust their men to remember to take pills daily. The researchers say a once-a-month or four-times-yearly dose addresses that problem.

“I think most women would trust their man to remember once a month or once a quarter,” Breitbart said.