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Use of testosterone alone as hormonal male contraceptive

Utilisation de la testostérone seule comme contraception masculine hormonale

Basic and Clinical Andrologyvolume 22, pages136–140 (2012) | Download Citation

Abstract

The world population continues to grow rapidly while resources for sustainable living dwindle and manmade ecological problems increase proportionally to the overpopulation. Family planning is required to reduce population growth in developing countries and to stabilize populations in developed countries. Contraception makes abortion superfluous and provides the key to family planning. Women increasingly demand that men share the burden and risks of contraception and — as opinion polls show — men would be willing to use contraceptives if they were available. Research has established the principle of hormonal male contraception based on suppression of gonadotropins and spermatogenesis. All hormonal male contraceptives use testosterone, but in East Asian men, testosterone alone can suppress spermatogenesis to a level compatible with contraceptive protection. In Caucasians additional agents are required of which progestins are favoured.

Résumé

La croissance de la population mondiale se poursuit rapidement alors que les ressources pour un développement durable s’amenuisent et que les problèmes écologiques issus de l’activité humaine augmentent proportionnellement à la surpopulation. Une planification familiale est nécessaire pour réduire la croissance de la population dans les pays en développement et pour stabiliser celle des pays développés. La contraception rend l’avortement superflu et fournit les clés d’une planification familiale. Les femmes demandent de plus en plus que les hommes partagent le poids et les risques de la contraception, et — comme le montrent les enquêtes d’opinion — les hommes seraient prêts à utiliser des contraceptifs s’ils étaient disponibles. La recherche a établi le principe d’une contraception masculine hormonale basée sur la suppression des gonadotrophines et de la spermatogenèse. Toute contraception masculine hormonale utilise la testostérone, mais la testostérone seule ne peut réduire la spermatogenèse à un niveau compatible avec une protection contraceptive que chez les hommes d’Extrême-Orient (Asie de l’Est). Chez les Caucasiens, des substances additionnelles sont nécessaires pour atteindre ce niveau, parmi lesquelles les progestatifs sont privilégiés.

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Affiliations

  1. Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology of the University of Münster, WHO Collaboration Centre for Research in Male Reproduction, Domagkstrasse 11, D-40129, Münster, Germany

    • E. Nieschlag

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Correspondence to E. Nieschlag.

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Keywords

  • World population
  • Family planning
  • Male contraception
  • Spermatogenesis suppression
  • Testosterone preparations
  • Synthetic androgens

Mots clés

  • Population mondiale
  • Planification familiale
  • Contraception masculine
  • Suppression de la spermatogenèse
  • Formes de testostérone
  • Androgènes de synthèse

Basic and Clinical Andrology

ISSN: 2051-4190