Interest increasing for male contraceptive pill

At a symposium on "Controversies in Contraception" at Wayne State University (Detroit), Dr. C. Alvin Paulsen outlined 3 separate trends in using drugs in men to prevent conception: 1) Danazol--a male "pill"; 2) Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) as a pill or injection plus monthly testosterone injections; and 3) a combination of the 1st and 2nd methods. The mechanism of action of the pill methods is blocking the ability of the testes to make hormones and the depression of signals coming from the pituitary gland. Advantages of a successful male contraceptive pill include its use as an alternative to sterilizaiton as well as an effective contraceptive with no adverse effects for the female.