The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded a research project that developed a new contraceptive pill for women.
The gelatine capsule developed by the US research team offers an alternative to the birth control pill.
The Pill
The gelatine capsule sits in the user’s stomach for weeks, and slowly releases hormones required to prevent pregnancy.
The newly developed pill is likely to create competition in the pharmaceutical sector.
The commonly used birth control pill requires a daily intake.
In comparison, women only need to take the newly developed pill once a month.
Impacts
The research team that developed the pill believes the product will allow women to have more control over their fertility.
The pill will create more choices for women.
Furthermore, the gelatine capsule solves the concerns raised by many women about forgetting to take a daily dose.
Many women report forgetting to take the pill or running out of the pill when travelling.
Currently, the newly developed pill has only been tested on pigs.
The experiment on pigs found that the monthly dose was sufficient for the hormones to stay in the body for 29 day following intake.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation believes that the newly developed pill has a great potential to redefine women’s reproductive rights across the world.
Consequently, the research team hopes to start human trials within the next couple years.
The research team reported that the newly developed pill is likely to be more successful in preventing unwanted pregnancies by increasing patient adherence.
Moreover, monthly treatments tend to be more successful compared to daily treatments due to increased patient adherence.
Redefining Reproductive Rights
Millions of women across the world prefer oral contraceptives.
If the newly developed pill passes human trials, it is likely to become popular among those who prefer oral contraceptives.
The newly developed pill offers the possibility of redefining human health and gender equality across the world by reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies.
Additionally, the reduced dosage makes the pill more accessible for women living in developing nations.
On the other hand, reduced dosage decreases production costs of the pill.
Furthermore, it reduces transportation costs of sending the pill to nations where many live under the poverty line.
If successful, the gelatine capsule will have a tremendous impact on global health.