The pig isn’t pregnant, and scientists are taking that as a good sign.
MIT has announced progress in their work developing a star-shaped gelatinous birth control pill that will be ingested monthly rather than the traditional daily medications that have been in use since the 1960’s.
So far their testing has only been on pigs, but it’s working.
Dr Randa Jalloul is an OB-GYN with UT Health and UT Physicians and is not involved with any of this research but is well familiar with helping women determine their best path forward for family planning, and provides a context to understand where MIT is going. “We classify birth control to two board categories: they are the long-acting reproductive contraceptive option and the short acting one,” she informs. MIT is looking to bridge the gap. It’s a shorter long acting one, relative to a three-year IUD, or a longer short acting one, not having to be taken daily.
Perhaps it’s something your children or grandchildren will consider.“I find in my clinic that for younger patients their preference is with birth control pills,” Dr. Jalloul says, and explains that there are many considerations in determining the best course of action, best explained by consulting your physician. There are internal methods, hormonal and non-hormonal medications, implants, rings, and male contraceptives on the horizon.
The once-a-month birth control pill isn’t expected to make it to the market for several years.