The Study
Dose-finding study of oral desogestrel with testosterone pellets for suppression of the pituitary-testicular axis in normal men.
This study saw what happened when men took different amounts of a hormone pill and pellet, and noticed that higher doses made sperm numbers go down. But it didn't randomly assign who got what, so we can't be sure the pill caused the change — maybe other things were involved.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if taking a daily pill (desogestrel) plus a testosterone pellet under the skin for 8 weeks could stop sperm production in healthy men.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 532 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This means sperm production dropped sharply in most men without causing noticeable health problems, suggesting it could be a possible birth control method for men.
- 2In the highest dose group (300 mcg), 3 out of 10 men had no sperm, and 7 had very low sperm.
- 3Hormones that control sperm were suppressed.
- 4No major side effects on mood, sex drive, or blood fats were seen.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Human reproduction
Year
2000
Authors
C. Martin, S. Riley, D. Everington, N. Groome, R. Riemersma, D. Baird, R. Anderson
Related Content
Claims (6)
Low testosterone levels result in a reduction in testicle size.
In healthy men, taking daily oral desogestrel at 75 to 300 micrograms along with a 300 mg testosterone pellet for 8 weeks reduces sperm concentration in a dose-dependent manner, and the highest dose caused severe reduction in sperm count in seven of ten participants.
In healthy men, taking desogestrel pills along with testosterone pellets for 8 weeks reduces levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, and this reduction is similar regardless of whether the desogestrel dose is 75, 150, or 300 micrograms.
In healthy men, taking 300 micrograms of desogestrel daily along with a 300 mg testosterone pellet for 8 weeks results in zero sperm count in three out of ten men, with no measurable changes in metabolism or behavior.
In healthy men taking 300 micrograms of daily oral desogestrel with testosterone pellets for 8 weeks, seminal plasma inhibin B becomes undetectable, while inhibin B levels in the blood remain largely unchanged.
In healthy men, taking desogestrel by mouth along with testosterone pellets for 8 weeks does not change levels of lipoproteins, fibrinogen, hematocrit, or sexual behavior.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.