Male contraceptive pill soon

London - British scientists said yesterday an effective contraceptive pill for men could be on the market within five years

London - British scientists said yesterday an effective contraceptive pill for men could be on the market within five years. Scientists at Edinburgh University who have developed the male pill said clinical trials carried out on 60 men in Scotland and China suggested that it was 100 per cent effective and had no side-effects.

The pill is made up of a combination of the male sex hormone testosterone and desogestrel, a synthetic steroid found in the female pill which temporarily inhibits sperm production, a member of the team said.