Male pill shows promise

Scientists are hoping to develop a non-hormonal contraceptive pill for men which has already been found to be successful in monkeys.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and BIOQUAL Inc have found that monkeys given the compound CDB-4022 had no moving sperm but once they stopped taking the dose saw their fertility bounce back completely by 16 weeks.

A survey by the International Male Contraception Coalition found that 61 per cent of men cited a non-hormonal pill as their first choice of contraception.

"You'll never have all men interested, but attitudes have really changed - studies consistently show a majority of men would consider it," said Elaine Lissner, director of the non-profit Male Contraception Information Project.

"Some men are quite desperate for better control over their fertility. They're looking for something they can really count on," added Kirsten Thompson, director of the International Male Contraception Coalition.

News brought to you by Global Health TV, covering the issues of Health in the Developing world