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Birth Control News

By Monique I. Cuvelier

Sheep bladders, dried fish powder, and sea sponges may not bring to mind methods of birth control, but once upon a millennium, they were all the rage. Ancient remedies might have come with some spooky side effects--including death--but many provided at least some protection against pregnancy.

Thankfully, we've come a long way since the days of life-threatening contraceptive methods. And with recent innovations in technology and medical science, new birth control options are opening to men and women. According to a study from Planned Parenthood, more than 1,000 experimental contraceptive methods are in research and development worldwide.

Vaginal Sponge
One of the newcomers on the market is actually old news to many women. The polyurethane foam barrier, soaked in spermicides and micobicides to ward off sexually transmitted infections, was pulled from the market in 1995. The makers of the Today Sponge determined it was too expensive to manufacture in this country, but it's poised to make a comeback.

FemCap
This is also a barrier device for women, which is a dome made of soft silicone rubber that covers the cervix. It lasts for three years, say makers, comes in three sizes and will cost about $60 for a package of two, when it is approved by the FDA.

The Patch
The daily pill might be a thing of the past, if a new birth control method from R.W. Johnson Pharmaceuticals attains approval. It's a patch that can be placed on arms, buttocks or abdomen and releases the same hormones as most birth control pills. A recent study presented at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reveals that the treatment, called Ortho Evra, is as effective as its oral counterpart.

Mirena
The latest FDA-approved intrauterine device (IUD) prevents pregnancy for up to five years by sitting in the uterus and blocking conception. Furthermore, it releases a hormone called levonorgestrel into the lining of the uterus. The combination blockage and hormone is about 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. Its maker, Berlex Laboratories, says it will be available some time this year.

Seasonale
Many women are familiar with the 21-days-on, seven-days-off schedule of the traditional birth control pill. But a new pill is taken for 84 days, then 7 off, resulting in four menstruation cycles per year. Scientists at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine believe that the delay in menstruation may prevent anemia, iron deficiency, and possibly ovarian cancer.

Male Pill
A littler further into the future, Americans can expect to see a male counterpart to the ubiquitous birth control pill. The oral contraceptive reduces sperm count to nil within 16 weeks, effectively halting the risk of pregnancy. While Italian men are already using the treatment, the Contraceptive Development Network predicts the pill will hit U.S. shores sometime after 2005.

While birth control's frontier is constantly being expanded, the United States still has a way to go before it catches up with other countries. Even though the National Institutes of Health is the largest single funder of contraceptive research in the world, America lags behind. For instance, by the time Norplant received the FDA stamp of approval in 1990, 22 other countries had been using it for nearly a decade.

It may be a while before we see some startling innovation on the market, but at least we'll never have to go back to dried fish powder.

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