Posted 10.26.2010 at 11:39 am
7 Comments
No More Pills
Ceridwen via Wikimedia
For women using birth control, that daily pill may soon be replaced by a simple addition to the regular moisturization routine. A new topical contraceptive gel that works in the same way as the pill has shown similar effectiveness when applied to the shoulders, arms, legs or abdomen daily -- and works without the side effects of sickness, weight gain, or a muted sense of sexual desire.
The topical gel is similar to the contraceptive patch that also releases hormones through the skin, but the patch, aside from being visible, can fall off. The lotion releases the hormones progesterone and estrogen – just as the traditional pill does – preventing the ovaries from releasing an egg each month. In a test of 18 women who used it for 7 months, none became pregnant – we assume that, in the name of science of course, they were sexually active at the time – or suffered any serious side effects.
Moreover, unlike the traditional pill the new gel is safe for women who are breastfeeding – the pill can cause hormone levels that interfere with milk supply. That’s a welcome improvement for glowing new mothers out there who aren’t quite ready for a second bundle of joy just yet.
7 Comments
To comment, please Login.
Popular Tags
Science
|
|
|
|
|
|
July 2013: The Future Of Flight
The incredible innovations, like drone swarms and perpetual flight, bringing aviation into the world of tomorrow. Plus: today's greatest sci-fi writers predict the future, the science behind the summer's biggest blockbusters, a Doctor Who-themed DIY 'bot, the organs you can do without, and much more.
.jpg)
Popular on Popsci
Most Commented
Science
- What Happens To Women When They're Denied Abortions?
- How I Survived A Week Without Food
- Infographic: This Is What's Causing Climate Change
- Same-Sex Marriage Doesn't Affect Opposite-Sex Marriage Rates, Study Finds
- The Energy Fix: Engineering Triumphs Over Wave And Tidal Forces
- 8 Awesome Things We Learned About Bill Nye From His Reddit AMA
- How Not To Be A Dad: The Latest Science Of Male Birth Control
- In Ancient Ice, Clues That Scientists Are Underestimating Future Sea Levels
- Only 5 Percent Of People Wash Their Hands Correctly
- Bike Shares Make Cities Safer For Bikers
Most Emailed
Science
- The Popular Science Guide To DNA
- Study: People Are Mean To Their Unattractive Co-Workers
- Bacteria Live At 33,000 Feet
- Megapixels: A Mars Simulation In The Sahara
- Retractions Won't Help If Nobody Reads Them
- The Greatest Heists In History [Infographic]
- A Cocktail Scientist Debunks Myths About Ice Cubes
- What Makes You Want To Click This?
- 10 Spectacular Bees Native To The U.S.
- 10 Spectacular Bees Native To The U.S.
Most Viewed
Science
- The Popular Science Guide To DNA
- Study: People Are Mean To Their Unattractive Co-Workers
- Bacteria Live At 33,000 Feet
- Megapixels: A Mars Simulation In The Sahara
- Retractions Won't Help If Nobody Reads Them
- The Greatest Heists In History [Infographic]
- A Cocktail Scientist Debunks Myths About Ice Cubes
- What Makes You Want To Click This?
- 10 Spectacular Bees Native To The U.S.
- 10 Spectacular Bees Native To The U.S.
Online Content Director: Suzanne LaBarre | Email
Senior Editor: Paul Adams | Email
Associate Editor: Dan Nosowitz | Email
Assistant Editor: Colin Lecher | Email
Assistant Editor: Rose Pastore | Email
Contributing Writers:
Kelsey D. Atherton | Email
Francie Diep | Email
Shaunacy Ferro | Email
Today on PopSci.com
.JPG)
Copyright © 2012 Popular Science
A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
I'm glad to see they're coming up with new options but this concerns me. How long does it take for it to be absorbed? What if you get dressed right after you apply it and only part of your dose is actually absorbed. Or, what if you come into contact with someone else, say a guy, and rub it off on him? What effect do those hormones have on a guy? Its great to see that the side effects are eliminated but if it doesn't absorb fast enought you could have a very big side effect in a little bundle of joy
Reminds me of that episode of House where the dad used male enhancement cream and rubbed it off on the kids without knowing it so they went through puberty to early. Not sure if it would work that way in real life but anything is possible.
ajohnson1986 - Yeah, you're right, that is a HUGE concern. I'm sure they didn't think about any of that when they developed the gel and tested it on those women. And it's SOOO obvious too, why wouldn't they think of that?! Gosh, there must be some real dummies working in these labs to miss some important things like that.
Jeez.
(For those of you that missed it, that was sarcasm.)
Actually, the New York Times just had an article about how pets and kids were getting does of hormones from hormone replacement creams. I'd think would have the same kinds of risks. So, no, I don't think anyone thought of the effects of it rubbing off on others, they haven't up till now with products already on the market.
-
Rubbing sounds like much more fun than swallowing.
Jye75
Best comment I've ever read.
BuzzLightYear
Best comment I've ever read.