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Our Partners
Insight are official media partners to the World Cities Summit July 2012.
Previously media partners to the AAL Conference Sept 2011.
Why disseminate?
The success of any research project depends on its ability to bring results to the marketplace.
Ultrasound is a potential male contraceptive
New research conducted on rats has used commercially available ultrasound equipment to reduce their sperm count to levels which would cause infertility in humans. The technique could potentially act as an inexpensive and longlasting male contraceptive.
The idea of using ultrasound as a method of contraception was first suggested almost 40 years ago, but was conducted on equipment now considered outdated. As a starting point for the new research, scientists examined these earlier experiments and developed them to incorporate modern ultrasound equipment usually used for physical therapy.
By rotating high frequency ultrasound around the testes, the team discovered they were able to cause uniform depletion of germ cells throughout the testes. The best results were achieved by applying two fifteen minute sessions two days apart, using warm salt water as a conductive fluid.
Further research is needed to determine how long the contraceptive lasts and whether it would be safe to use multiple times.
Access the article here.
Published: Monday, 30th January 2012 by Ellen Haggan
