It's all about options.
Nov. 27th, 2003 02:45 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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menstrualhutSpray-on female contraceptive to start trial
The world's first trial of a female contraceptive spray will begin in Australia early in 2004. The approach involves a new technique for transferring hormones across the skin and a novel low-dose contraceptive hormone.
Separate studies involving each component suggest they will work well in combination, says the Population Council, a US-based non-profit organisation involved in the new trial.
The spray will be used daily to deliver Nestorone, a synthetic progestin for which the Population Council holds the rights. Nestorone cannot be used in pill form because it is completely broken down in the gut, preventing it from entering the bloodstream.
Trials in women using Nestorone in a skin gel or under-the-skin implant show it works well and is safe, says Ian Fraser, a reproductive medicine expert at the University of Sydney, where the new trial will be conducted.
But for some women there could be advantages to using it in a spray. For example, the hormone would be transferred almost instantaneously across the skin, so it could not be washed off, unlike a gel.
"This sounds excellent, like it would be very easy for women to use," says Louis Salamonsen, who is involved in contraceptive research at the Prince Henry Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. "The only disadvantage compared with something like an implant is that a woman would still have to remember to do it every day."
Steady delivery
The spray system exploits the properties of chemicals also used in water-resistant sunscreens. These compounds modify the structure of the outer layer of skin, allowing sunscreen - or in this case hormones - to penetrate.
Trials of the technique for use in hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women show that once under the skin, the hormone collects in a reservoir. This reservoir then very slowly diffuses into the bloodstream.
"This means we get a nice steady delivery of the drug - very different to what happens with the contraceptive pill, where there is a quick peak with a rapid drop-off," says Andrew Humberstone, director of research at Acrux, the Melbourne-based company that is commercialising the spray technology.
This could mean that lower doses would be needed in a spray, compared with existing pills, potentially reducing the risk of side effects. It also means a Nestorone spray would not have to be used at exactly the same time every day, unlike current contraceptive pills.
Nestorone itself could have other advantages over current contraceptives. Breast-feeding women could use it knowing that any hormone that was secreted into milk would be broken down in their baby's gut.
"Most contraceptive research today is about giving women a choice," says Fraser. "There are cons with everything. But for some women, I think this will turn out to be an excellent method of contraception."
The world's first trial of a female contraceptive spray will begin in Australia early in 2004. The approach involves a new technique for transferring hormones across the skin and a novel low-dose contraceptive hormone.
Separate studies involving each component suggest they will work well in combination, says the Population Council, a US-based non-profit organisation involved in the new trial.
The spray will be used daily to deliver Nestorone, a synthetic progestin for which the Population Council holds the rights. Nestorone cannot be used in pill form because it is completely broken down in the gut, preventing it from entering the bloodstream.
Trials in women using Nestorone in a skin gel or under-the-skin implant show it works well and is safe, says Ian Fraser, a reproductive medicine expert at the University of Sydney, where the new trial will be conducted.
But for some women there could be advantages to using it in a spray. For example, the hormone would be transferred almost instantaneously across the skin, so it could not be washed off, unlike a gel.
"This sounds excellent, like it would be very easy for women to use," says Louis Salamonsen, who is involved in contraceptive research at the Prince Henry Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. "The only disadvantage compared with something like an implant is that a woman would still have to remember to do it every day."
Steady delivery
The spray system exploits the properties of chemicals also used in water-resistant sunscreens. These compounds modify the structure of the outer layer of skin, allowing sunscreen - or in this case hormones - to penetrate.
Trials of the technique for use in hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women show that once under the skin, the hormone collects in a reservoir. This reservoir then very slowly diffuses into the bloodstream.
"This means we get a nice steady delivery of the drug - very different to what happens with the contraceptive pill, where there is a quick peak with a rapid drop-off," says Andrew Humberstone, director of research at Acrux, the Melbourne-based company that is commercialising the spray technology.
This could mean that lower doses would be needed in a spray, compared with existing pills, potentially reducing the risk of side effects. It also means a Nestorone spray would not have to be used at exactly the same time every day, unlike current contraceptive pills.
Nestorone itself could have other advantages over current contraceptives. Breast-feeding women could use it knowing that any hormone that was secreted into milk would be broken down in their baby's gut.
"Most contraceptive research today is about giving women a choice," says Fraser. "There are cons with everything. But for some women, I think this will turn out to be an excellent method of contraception."
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Date: 2003-11-28 02:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-28 09:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-28 11:22 am (UTC)After investigating traditional contraceptive techniques, an eminent Australian-based scientist has proved that lemon juice diluted five to one with water kills HIV and sperm within seconds.
Roger Short's findings will be made public in a scientific paper read at The Ninth International Symposium on Spermatology at the University of the Western Cape next week.
Symposium convener Professor Gerhard van der Horst is excited by the discovery of a cheap, universally available, non-technical way to block HIV transmission, and describes Short's paper as "a milestone".
A woman whose husband insists on "nyama to nyama" can protect herself against HIV transmission with a small sponge and watered-down lemon juice, perhaps leaving him none the wiser. Men may also anoint themselves with the acidic juice to prevent transmission.
The abstract of the paper says: "Historically, lemon juice on a sponge, or half a lemon placed over the cervix, was widely used as an effective contraceptive. We have shown that 20% lemon juice (final concentration) in human semen irreversibly immobilises 100% of sperm in less than 30 seconds. A similar concentration also rapidly inactivates HIV. Thus intra-vaginal lemon juice might provide a cheap, readily available and extremely effective way of stopping the sexual transmission of HIV, whilst also providing contraception."
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Date: 2003-11-28 04:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-29 01:13 am (UTC)Interesting, no?
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Date: 2003-11-28 05:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-28 05:08 pm (UTC)http://www.gumption.org/mcip/paper.html
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Date: 2003-11-28 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-28 08:21 pm (UTC)It sounds like such a great idea... though if it came out, I think I'd only use the spray or gel. Implants freak me out a little.