"Men can take birth control shots to prevent pregnancy in their female partners according to a new study published in the Endocrine Societys Journal of Clinical Endocrinology  Metabolism.  Researchers are still working to perfect the combination of hormonal contraceptives to reduce the risk of mild to moderate side effects including depression and other mood disorders. While women can choose from a number of birth control methods men have few options to control their own fertility. Available methods for men include condoms vasectomies and withdrawal.  Better birth control options are needed for men. In   percent of all pregnancies worldwide were unintended according to the Guttmacher Institute https The study found it is possible to have a hormonal contraceptive for men that reduces the risk of unplanned pregnancies in the partners of men who use it said one of the studys authors Mario Philip Reyes Festin MD of the World Health Organization in Geneva Switzerland. Our findings confirmed the efficacy of this contraceptive method previously seen in small studies. The prospective Phase II single arm multicenter study tested the safety and effectiveness of injectable contraceptives in  healthy men ages  to . The participants had all been in monogamous relationships with female partners between the ages of  and  for at least a year. The men underwent testing to ensure they had a normal sperm count at the start of the study. The men received injections of  milligrams of a longacting progestogen called norethisterone enanthate NETEN and  milligrams of a longacting androgen called testosterone undecanoate TU for up to  weeks to suppress their sperm counts. Healthcare professionals gave the men two injections every eight weeks. Participants initially provided semen samples after eight and  weeks in the suppression phase and then every  weeks until they met the criteria for the next phase. During this time the couples were instructed to use other nonhormonal birth control methods. Once a participants sperm count was lowered to less than  millionml in two consecutive tests the couple was asked to rely on the injections for birth control. During this period known as the efficacy phase of the study the men continued to receive injections every eight weeks for up to  weeks. Participants provided semen samples every eight weeks to ensure their sperm counts stayed low. Once the participants stopped receiving the injections they were monitored to see how quickly their sperm counts recovered. The hormones were effective in reducing the sperm count to  millionml or less within  weeks in  of the participants. The contraceptive method was effective in nearly  percent of continuing users. Only four pregnancies occurred among the mens partners during the efficacy phase of the study. Researchers stopped enrolling new participants in the study in  due to the rate of adverse events particularly depression and other mood disorders reported by the participants. The men reported side effects including injection site pain muscle pain increased libido and acne. Twenty men dropped out of the study due to side effects. Despite the adverse effects more than  percent of participants reported being willing to use this method of contraception at the conclusion of the trial. Of the  reported adverse events nearly  percent were found to be unrelated to the contraceptive injections. These included one death by suicide which was assessed not to be related to the use of the drug. Serious adverse events that were assessed as probably or possibly related to the study included one case of depression one intentional overdose of acetaminophen and a man who experienced an abnormally fast and irregular heartbeat after he stopped receiving the injections.  More research is needed to advance this concept to the point that it can be made widely available to men as a method of contraception Festin said. Although the injections were effective in reducing the rate of pregnancy the combination of hormones needs to be studied more to consider a good balance between efficacy and safety.  The study Efficacy and Safety of an Injectable Combination Hormonal Contraceptive for Men will be published online at httppress.endocrine.orgdoi.jc. ahead of print.  Other authors of the study include Hermann M. Behre of Martin Luther University of HalleWittenberg in Halle Germany Michael Zitzmann of the University of Mnster in Mnster Germany Richard A. Anderson of The University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh United Kingdom David J. Handelsman of the University of Sydney and Concord Hospital in Sydney Australia Silvia W. Lestari of the University of Indonesia in Jakarta Indonesia Robert I. McLachlan of Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne Australia M. Cristina Meriggiola of the University of Bologna in Bologna Italy Man Mohan Misro of the National Institute of Health  Family Welfare in New Dehli India Gabriela Noe of the Instituto Chileno de Medicina Reproductiva in Santiago Chile Frederick C. W. Wu of Manchester Royal Infirmary in Manchester U.K. Ndema A. Habib and Kirsten M. Vogelsong of the World Health Organization of Geneva Switzerland and Marianne M. Callahan Kim A. Linton and Doug S. Colvard of CONRAD East Virginia Medical School a reproductive health organization based in Arlington VA. The research was cosponsored and funded by UNDPUNFPAUNICEFWHOWorld Bank Special Program of Research Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction in Geneva Switzerland and CONRAD using funding from the Bill  Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The injectable hormones were provided by Schering AG which has since merged with Bayer Pharma AG. For more information on mens health visit the Endocrine Societys centennial website.  Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time from diabetes and obesity to infertility bone health and hormonerelated cancers. The Endocrine Society is the worlds oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormonerelated conditions.  The Society which is celebrating its centennial httpescentennial.orgcalendarjune in  has more than  members including scientists physicians educators nurses and students in  countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology visit our site at http Follow us on Twitter at TheEndoSociety httpstwitter.comTheEndoSocietyref_srctwsrcEgoogleCtwcampEserpCtwgrEauthor and EndoMedia httpstwitter.comendomedia."