Just like how all roads lead to Rome, so too, are there many methods of contraception, but here is a potential breakthrough which might just cause heads to turn. Scientists have managed to use commercially-available ultrasound technology to reduce sperm count in rats to a level which would normally be considered as an infertile case for men. Said researchers successfully lowered motile sperm count to a mere 3 million per cauda epididymis (the place where sperm resides), and this is considered as a Sperm Count Index of zero – where visible results are seen after a fortnight of ultrasound treatment. Could this pave the way to further investigation of ultrasonic techniques as a human contraceptive solution down the road?
Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine did not go out of their way to come up with new ultrasound equipment or technology, but decided that there was no point in reinventing the wheel, hence, using widely available ultrasound equipment that are normally slated for physical therapy instead of making sure no more kids are born into the world. It seems that the most effective process involved a couple of 15-minute sessions that are spaced two days apart, using a frequency of 3 MHz at a power density of 2.2 W/sq cm and a temperature of 37 degrees centigrade (98.6ºF).
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