Scientists using seeds from a common Asian tree are developing a spermicidal "plug" for women that may prevent the spread of AIDS, and an injected contraceptive for men, an Indian researcher said Wednesday.
G.P. Talwar of the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology also said an injected contraceptive for women would soon be commercially available.Talwar told the third Asian Conference on Sexology that a substance called praneem had been extracted from purified seeds of the neem tree, common in South Asia.
Injected into test animals' sperm ducts, praneem prevented the production of sperm without affecting the level of the hormone testosterone or inhibiting the animal's sex drive, Talwar said.
Monkeys and rats who received the preparation recovered normal sperm levels after its effects wore off, he said.
Researchers have also developed a praneem "pessary," or plug, which acts as a spermicide inside a woman's vagina and inhibits the spread of some diseases, perhaps including the AIDS virus, he said.
"Such application could affect the spread of the HIV virus," he said without elaboration, comparing the praneem plug to a "liquid IUD," or interuterine device.
The praneem plug and a contraceptive cream were in the advanced stage of clinical trials while the male contraceptive was still being tested on animals, he said.
A contraceptive for women called HSD was close to becoming the first commercially available injection to prevent pregnancy, Talwar said.
Derived in part from ovines, HSD has proved highly effective and has several crucial advantages over existing birth control methods, he said.
Unlike some methods, the contraception does not interfere with a woman's ovulation or disturb her menstrual cycle.
It can be used at any stage of a woman's reproductive life, whereas an IUD is not recommended for women before they bear children and some doctors discourage older women from using the pill because of the risk of cancer.