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A great male contraceptive is already here and it is testosterone injections. "The two-and-a-half-year study of 399 couples in nine countries found that the i

A great male contraceptive is already here and it is testosterone injections. "The two-and-a-half-year study of 399 couples in nine countries found that the injections of the male sex hormone were an effective contraceptive for 98.6 percent of the participants." https://nytimes.com/1996/04/03/us/testosterone-injections-work-as-contraceptive.html https://nytimes.com/1996/04/03/us/testosterone-injections-wo...

true_religion 9y ago
"It is a painful injection in the buttock,".... most likely the reason why it is not more popular.
- JohnJamesRambo 9y ago
  It isn't that painful at all, that is the equivalent of FUD in this article. It is about as painful as any other shot.
walrus 9y ago
Disclaimer: I have no idea what I'm talking about. Here's roughly how it works, if I understand correctly. First, a normal male endocrine system looks roughly like this: 1. The hypothalamus produces GnRH. 2. In response to stimulation by GnRH, the pituitary produces LH and FSH. 3. In response to FSH and LH, the testes produce sperm and testosterone, respectively. 4. Testosterone inhibits the production of GnRH by the hypothalamus (a negative feedback mechanism). This effectively keeps testosterone levels regulated. When external testosterone is introduced, here's what happens: 1. The increased testosterone inhibits the production of GnRH by the hypothalamus. 2. In absence of GnRH, the pituitary produces less FSH and LH. 3. In absence of FSH, the testes produce less sperm (this is the contraceptive effect). In absence of LH, the testes produce less testosterone. The net effect is less sperm and the body produces less testosterone on its own. This makes me wonder: would this lead to testicular atrophy? That happens with steroidal antiandrogens and GnRH agonists/antagonists, both of which have the effect of decreasing LH and FSH. Also, I think there are cardiovascular risks associated with high testosterone.
- jgmmo 9y ago
  Its well known in the powerlifting/bodybuilding space that steroid use will cause small balls. Yes to testicular atrophy. Supposedly they will come back after you get off, assuming you did so properly.
throwaway91111 9y ago
Testosterone has a lot of other side effects.
chillacy 9y ago
Wait this sounds like it'll be the ultimate temptation for people who play sports or lift weights. Once you get used to injecting testosterone regularly, it's going to be tempting to increase the dosage to gain some of these other benefits. But I suppose women already have this going on with their birth control. One can read stories about benefits like skin clearing up, increased breast size, losing weight, etc from hormonal birth control. (And also stories of the opposite effects).

true_religion 9y ago

"It is a painful injection in the buttock,".... most likely the reason why it is not more popular.

JohnJamesRambo 9y ago
It isn't that painful at all, that is the equivalent of FUD in this article. It is about as painful as any other shot.

walrus 9y ago

Disclaimer: I have no idea what I'm talking about. Here's roughly how it works, if I understand correctly. First, a normal male endocrine system looks roughly like this: 1. The hypothalamus produces GnRH. 2. In response to stimulation by GnRH, the pituitary produces LH and FSH. 3. In response to FSH and LH, the testes produce sperm and testosterone, respectively. 4. Testosterone inhibits the production of GnRH by the hypothalamus (a negative feedback mechanism). This effectively keeps testosterone levels regulated. When external testosterone is introduced, here's what happens: 1. The increased testosterone inhibits the production of GnRH by the hypothalamus. 2. In absence of GnRH, the pituitary produces less FSH and LH. 3. In absence of FSH, the testes produce less sperm (this is the contraceptive effect). In absence of LH, the testes produce less testosterone. The net effect is less sperm and the body produces less testosterone on its own. This makes me wonder: would this lead to testicular atrophy? That happens with steroidal antiandrogens and GnRH agonists/antagonists, both of which have the effect of decreasing LH and FSH. Also, I think there are cardiovascular risks associated with high testosterone.

jgmmo 9y ago
Its well known in the powerlifting/bodybuilding space that steroid use will cause small balls. Yes to testicular atrophy. Supposedly they will come back after you get off, assuming you did so properly.

throwaway91111 9y ago

Testosterone has a lot of other side effects.

chillacy 9y ago

Wait this sounds like it'll be the ultimate temptation for people who play sports or lift weights. Once you get used to injecting testosterone regularly, it's going to be tempting to increase the dosage to gain some of these other benefits. But I suppose women already have this going on with their birth control. One can read stories about benefits like skin clearing up, increased breast size, losing weight, etc from hormonal birth control. (And also stories of the opposite effects).