The male birth control pill could soon be a thing

The male birth control pill has been an urban myth for years. But now they could finally be a reality. On Wednesday, a team of scientists reported they had developed a contraceptive in male mice that was 99% effective.

According to Science Alert, the results will be presented at the American Chemical Society’s spring meeting.

Researchers have tried to develop a birth control that affects men just as much as it does women. The problem with this approach was that because of the targeted testosterone, men were likely to suffer from depression, weight gain, and an increased risk of heart disease.

Photo by Amy Humphries via Unsplash

RELATED: A single alcoholic drink can affect the health of it

The new method is non-hormonal and targets a protein in the body that can block sperm formation. The method had no adverse side effects and found that the mice were just as active and hungry as before. The effects were also transient, as four weeks after stopping taking the compound, mice were able to get mice pregnant.

The team hopes to begin human trials sometime in 2022. “There’s no guarantee it will work… but I’d be really surprised if we didn’t see an effect in humans, too,” said Professor Gunda Georg.

RELATED: These popular foods could shorten your lifespan

Birth control has long been a contentious issue of responsibility that directly impacts female partners. If this method were to come to fruition, it would give couples more birth control options and allow them to find a method that works best for them as a couple.