The latest research into a way to destroy human sperm has been funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that could provide men effective contraception for six months.
The Gates Foundation has funded a study at the University of North Carolina (UNC) to develop the new technology. The method used in the research tested ultra sound on lab rats. Two 15-minute doses has been reported to “significantly reduce” sperm count and sperm integrity.
As reported in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, the research at UNC found that men would be considered to be “sub-fertile when sperm counts dropped below 15 million sperm per milliliter. The sperm count of the rats used in the study dropped below 10 sperm per milliliter. Still unknown is whether or not the ultrasound technology could cause long-term sterility or permanent damage.
According to the BBC News, the concept for this research has been around for many decades as it was first proposed in the 1970s. Now it is one of ten projects funded by the Gates Foundation that specifically focus on new technology for contraception. An article in Natural News on February 1, 2012, reports that these include a pill that inhibits the growth and maturation of sperm and another that investigates creating chemical compounds that prevent the sperm from reaching the egg.
What happens when sperm count is recovered and whether or not it would be damaged or any baby later conceived would be affected is yet to be determined.
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