Abstract:
Surveys indicate that one form of acceptable male hormonal contraception
would consist of injections given at 2- to 3-month intervals. This report
describes a study of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and
testosterone undecanoate (TU) injected at 8-wk intervals for suppression
of spermatogenesis in healthy Chinese men. After screening, 30 healthy
volunteers were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of three dose groups
(n = 10/group): 1000 mg TU (group A); 1000 mg TU plus 150 mg DMPA (group
B); 1000 mg TU plus 300 mg DMPA (group C). All doses were given as im
injections at 8-wk intervals. The study consisted of an 8-wk control
(baseline) period, a 24-wk treatment period, and a 24-wk recovery period.
Consistent azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia was achieved and
maintained in all volunteers during the treatment period, except for two
men in the TU-alone group who experienced a rebound in sperm
concentrations. An 8-wk regimen of TU plus DMPA at both tested combination
doses effectively suppressed spermatogenesis to azoospermia in Chinese
men. All volunteers tolerated the injections; no serious adverse effects
were reported. The lower-dose combination is recommended for further
testing in an expanded clinical trial or contraceptive efficacy study.
