African Woman and Child Feature Service

A locally developed contraceptive could be in the market soon if trials on its effect on the human sperm are successful.

The Aga Khan University is currently in consultations with Institute of Primate Research (IPR), a quasi government institution, on how the study is to be conducted at the University.

“At the moment, there is unmet need of a good spermicide in the market and that is why we are interested to test this one from IPR to establish if it could help fill this gap,” says Prof William Stones, the Chair, Obstetric and Gynaecology department at Aga Khan University.

Spermicides are used to kill or damage the sperms by making the vaginal environment acidic, which is a pH level below 5.0. Sperms survive in alkaline conditions of pH levels of more than 7.0.

While they give women the power to use the contraceptive without their husband’s knowledge, studies have found spermicides to be least effective in the category of modern contraceptives in preventing pregnancy, especially when used alone. Doctors advise women to use emergency contraception if the spermicide was used incorrectly.

Family Health International in one of its publication says that if used repeatedly, spermicides irritate the vaginal lining, increasing a woman susceptibility to HIV infection. That is why the Aga Khan University want to find out the appropriateness of this spermicide.

According to Prof Stones, they want to subject the contraceptive to semen and sperms collected from the human males to find out its effect on sperm function and the product’s suitability in inactivating the sperms.

The other focus is to establish the right concentration and volume of the contraceptive required to kill the sperm, but safe to the vaginal tissues.

Known as UniPron, the contraceptive has been developed by Dr Peter Mwethera, Head of IPR’s Department of Reproductive Health and Biology. A patent to protect the innovation had been acquired from the Kenya Industrial Property Institute. 

Studies in the primates conducted at IPR have shown the contraceptive to work in disabling the sperm of the baboons. But the effect of the contraceptive on human sperm is yet to be known.

“While the baboon’s genetic makeup has a high similarity with that of human beings, the response of the contraceptive to the human sperm might not be the same as was the case in the primates. That is what we want to find out,” Prof Stones explains.

Prof Stones adds that if the laboratory test on the human sperm is successful, the study will move to human trials. At this stage, a small number of women and men volunteers who are not sexually active will be recruited.

The purpose of this stage is to establish the contraceptive’s safety on the female and male genitalia, says Dr Mwethera.

It is after the safety concerns are answered at this stage that the contraceptive will proceed to a bigger human trial study involving sexually active volunteers. Only after this stage will the product be commercialise if its efficacy and suitability as contraceptive would have been proven.

FHI says: “In general, spermicides are the least effective of contraceptive methods because people tend to use them incorrectly or inconsistently during typical use.”

Correct use entails using spermicide each time intercourse occurs; placing the substance correctly in the vagina no longer than one hour before intercourse; and allowing adequate time for the spermicide to dissolve and disperse.

It further involves using another application of spermicide if more than one hour has passed between insertion and intercourse; and not douching until at least six hours after sexual intercourse.

Earlier laboratory studies had shown UniPron ability to lower the pH in the vagina to levels that will kill both sperms and microbes, including HIV, without interfering with the naturally occurring and beneficial bacteria in the vagina. But this aspect of the gel is yet to be tested in the primates.