Contraception: prospect of new contraceptives

At a metting of eminent international scientists in Cambridge, England, last September, several promising experiments were described that tested the feasibility of contraception based on pituitary-regulating hormones produced by the hypothalamus, an area at the base of the brain, that regulates the pituitary gland. There is still much basic research needed but preliminary results are promising. 2 Johns Hopkins University researchers are developing a method for male sterilization by the use of chemicals instead of surgery. The method has been successful with test animals, and has had no adverse effects on their sex lives. Clinical trials will begin this summer, if approved by the hospital research committee.