A contraceptive pill that could be taken by men as well as women could be on the horizon.

 

一种男女通用的避孕药即将问世。

 

A breakthrough in the understanding of the biology of sperm¹ could lead to a unisex version of the Pill, US government-funded scientists said.

 

They have identified a protein in sperm that gives it the energy it needs to power towards the egg and break its way into it.

 

As the researchers put it, the ABHD2 protein allows the tail to 'crack like a whip' and 'power kick' its way into the egg.

 

Therefore, blocking this protein could prevent the sperm from fertilising the egg.

 

Dr Stuart Moss², of the National Institutes of Health, which funded the study, said: ‘Developing new compounds that block ABHD2 ultimately may yield new contraceptive methods that prevent sperm from research the egg.’

 

University of California, Berkeley researcher Melissa Miller³ added: 'What is really cool is that we have an actual target for unisex contraceptive development.'

 

Theoretically, such a pill could be taken by either sex, allowing men to take a greater share of the burden of contraception.

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