Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are hoping to recruit 20 couples from the southeast of Scotland to test a new male contraceptive jab.

The study at Edinburgh University's reproductive and development sciences division is a World Health Organization initiative. Researchers say the jab will give much more effective protection against pregnancy than condoms.

According to a report by the Press Association, men will be given the injection every two months. The jab is fully reversible and will contain the hormones testosterone and progesterone. It works by causing sperm counts to decrease rapidly – when they are low enough to offer protection against pregnancy, the couples involved in the trial would have to use the jab as their only form of contraceptive for one year.

Lead researcher Professor Richard Anderson said:

 
‘If this trial is successful, I imagine there would be interest in looking at marketing the injection as a male contraceptive.

‘Even if not all men would be keen on an injection, there would definitely be a market to make such a treatment available.’

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