Scientists Still Plugging Away at Contraception for Dudes; Meanwhile, 1 in 5 Men Have "Abnormal Sperm Counts"

How do we not want to have a baby? Let us count the ways. If you're a woman, you've got that female condom horror, the sponge, a host of different hormone therapies from pills to injectables, implantables, diaphragms, even emergency contraception, not to mention swearing off men altogether ... in toto, a veritable plethora of ways to prevent the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

But if you're a guy, well ... you've got condoms. Trusting your significant other/lady you sex to take care of things on her own. Surgery. Or not having sex.

Is it any wonder that the menfolk feel left out?

Fortunately, scientists have been working round the clock to counter this injustice in our social-sexual construct.

As reported by our friends at L.A. Weekly, the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center has announced it's going to start testing a male contraceptive on patients. It's a hormonal gel that aims to "cut male sperm count levels to the point at which conception is not possible."

According to researcher Dr. Christina Wang, "This trial is a study of a testosterone gel, which was developed with testing at LA BioMed, to be used with a progestin gel called Nestorone to suppress sperm production. Upon stopping the application of the gel, the sperm production will return to the normal range."

Meanwhile, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has received a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support research to make ultrasound an inexpensive, long-term, reversible contraceptive for men.

"We think this could provide men with up to six months of reliable, low-cost, non-hormonal contraception from a single round of treatment," said James Tsuruta, PhD.

Alternatively, guys could take a cue from these admirably chaste ladies, go on a "celibacy cleanse," and put their energy into making wedding dresses or getting a record deal. Except that would be obnoxious.