The burden of contraception has traditionally been borne by women, be it contraceptive pills or intrauterine devices or tubal ligation. That’s because the men folk have never warmed up to the idea of vasectomy, even though it was much more effective and safer than tubectomy. Unfounded fears regarding losing their masculinity, lack of awareness and negative perception about vasectomy are some of the reasons why male involvement in the process of contraception has been so dismal.

We have always wondered if there was a safer method of contraception available even for men, apart from the condom. But now, researchers have found an experimental oral contraceptive to be used in men that is supposedly safer and more effective than its older counterparts. The drug in question is called dimethandrolone undecanoate, or DMAU, which can be taken once a day by men. And since it is considered safer, the pill frees men from the hassles of wearing a condom every time. Here are three things you need to know about male contraceptive pills.

It reduces the number of sperm cells in the semen

The pill, which is supposed to be taken daily, works by switching off the man’s testosterone and other hormones that causes sperm production. By lowering the number of sperm cells in the semen, the contraceptive makes it practically impossible for the man to impregnate the woman. But the effects are temporary and sperm production will go back to normal once the man stops taking the pills.

It doesn’t have any major side effects

Previous attempts to create the pill for men were unsuccessful because the hormones created by the contraceptive were metabolised faster in the male body. Also, previous versions of the pill for men were harmful for their liver. DMAU has very little side effects. The clinical trial conducted by The University of Washington tested the pill on 83 men. The only side effects seen were mild weight gain and acne, nothing compared to the harmful effects of female contraceptives. Although DMAU can cause mood changes and alterations in libido, no side effect is so horrible that it may make men want to discontinue them.

Women don’t trust male contraceptives

As effective and safe as they may be, women don’t seem to have a lot of faith on male contraceptives. And it has nothing to do with how they work. It has more to do with the fact that they don’t trust men to take them. Talk about faith! Popular reactions show that men are still sceptical about taking the pills, despite enough medical evidence that they are safe!

One cannot predict whether male contraceptive pills or DMAU will become a success among men or not. But one thing is for sure, it surely gives men more power to decide whether they want to father a child or not. It frees them from being dependent on the woman to make this important choice.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2018 06:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).