Whether the testicles are exposed to extreme heat for a long time causes infertility and how to use effective male contraception (birth control) has been in the focus of the scientific world for a while. Overheating laptops can affect sperm quality if they sit on your lap for hours; Male birth control methods, on the other hand, are basically limited to vasectomy and condoms, unlike women who have various methods such as pills, spirals and hormone injections.
But what if heat-exposed testicles were a solution for male contraception from the start? The answer to male birth control may lie in heat, according to a study conducted at the Institute of Reproductive Medicine at Nantolog University in China.
Possible temporary, reversible reduction of fertility in men
According to the results of the experiments on mouse testicles, it is possible to temporarily and reversibly reduce fertility with the magnetic field created as a result of wrapping the testicles with an electric coil and heating the testicles filled with nanoparticles.
A 2013 study first conducted experiments by injecting modified gold nanorods with near-infrared irradiation into mouse testicles. As a result of this study, it has been revealed that this method is more suitable, efficient and cheaper than surgical castration (sterilization) for controlling the excessive reproduction of domestic and stray animals.
In the research conducted in 2021, the subject went deeper and was non-invasive; Studies have begun on reversible male birth control. Researchers trying to solve some problems encountered in previous studies, in the new study; He began to look for ways to inject very small, precious metal particles into the testicles painlessly and non-toxicly, and to heat the testicles without causing skin damage.
This time, scientists trying to use magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles that the body can destroy later; They injected the nanoparticles into the mice intravenously and then placed a magnet near the testicles for four hours to attract the particles to the testicles. After one to four days of injections and magnets, they wrapped an electric coil around the testicles. This, in turn, reheated the iron oxide stored in the balls to temperatures between 36 and 45 degrees, with the magnetic field generated from the current.
After this process, the sperm count of the mice decreased; It was observed that the fertility of those who were heated at lower temperatures returned after 60 days. “The number of offspring born to pregnant mice was nearly the same, and no visible morphological defects were observed in all offspring,” the researchers said for this improvement.
Testes that warmed over 45 degrees could not heal
In tests where more heat was applied, it was observed that the testicles were atrophied and there were significant color changes in some testicles depending on how much iron oxide was injected or how much they were heated. It was observed that the testicles, which were heated above 45 degrees, were severely damaged and could not heal at the end of the 7th day.
It may sound difficult to have human males voluntarily inject a magnetic substance into their testicles and then wrap a heating coil around them and kill their sperm for a few months; can be an attractive option to control the reproduction of animals.
On the other hand, it is a big problem that all the responsibility of the birth control department, except for the condom, which most men do not like to use, is placed on women as if they are getting pregnant on their own. Although the birth control methods available for women reduce the chance of getting pregnant at high rates, the pregnancy factor does not completely disappear and pregnancy can occur as a result of the man not taking the necessary protection. For this reason, the development of a birth control method suitable for both parties seems to be the only solution that can eliminate this problem.
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