Contraception for men and women
2001/10/11 Agirre Ruiz de Arkaute, Aitziber - Elhuyar Zientzia
Conventional contraceptives are often uncomfortable or can cause health problems. Thus, women would be very happy if they generated a pill that is not based on the use of hormones. The new method being developed will prevent the consumption of hormones and, in addition, can be used by both women and men.
In sessions with the mouse it has been proven that the mobility of sperm depends on calcium. The introduction of calcium into the sperm tail produces a motion in the tail. It is known that without fast motion the sperm could not reach the egg and fertilize.
In fact, sperm do not always have the ability to move so quickly, but they acquire it by joining the woman's reproductive organs. It seems that hypermobility is achieved by responding to a woman's chemical signal, when it causes calcium to enter the sperm.
Calcium is introduced through the channels that the cell generates for it. According to experts, in the case of men, replacing conventional contraceptives with compounds that block these channels can be viable. However, women will also be able to take calcium channel blockers as they would affect sperm entering their reproductive system.
At the moment the difficulty is to find a compound that only blocks this type of channels, so that it does not generate any other problem. Despite the fact that the development of these new contraceptive methods can involve several years of work, experts have shown their optimism and have stated that women's health problems can be avoided when taking the pill.
Gai honi buruzko eduki gehiago
Elhuyarrek garatutako teknologia
