Contraception: progress brings hope for new metho...(st male Pill research has used a combi...)

• Another androgen that can be taken orally, Dimethandrolone Undecanoate (DMAU), was effective at reducing sperm numbers in rabbits if taken at a low, but not high, dose. Rabbits regained their fertility when they stopped the drug.

• Makers of the Intra Vas Device are expected to announce effectiveness data showing "substantial equivalence to traditional vasectomy methods in a study of 90 men. The Intra Vas Device blocks sperm in the vas deferens, the tube sperm swim through that is cut in vasectomy. The set of plugs can be removed if a man changes his mind, and animal studies have shown that fertility returns if it is removed after short-term use. The next step will be to find funding for long-term studies of effectiveness and fertility return.

• Developers of a home sperm test ("SpermCheck") reported excellent results in men. The test perfectly matched more expensive laboratory tests in detecting whether men's sperm count is above or below 200,000-300,000 per millileter, an extremely low number (normal counts are above 20 million per millileter). When this test hits the market, it will help men who are using "do-it-yourself" methods such as simple wet heat and suspensories. It will also allow men who get vasectomies to know when their sperm are cleared out, without going to the doctor. About 1 in 6 American couples uses vasectomy as a contraceptive method, with more than 500,000 men opting for the procedure each year.

Researchers from around the world are also announcing new targets for contraception, and incremental progress on hormonal approaches ("the male Pill"). Many other teams will present late-breaking news during the poster session, 7-9 pm the 27th.

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