Women 'doubt men will take pill'

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A university report has claimed that while men welcomed a male contraceptive pill, women said their partners could not be trusted to take one regularly.

A Teesside University team questioned 380 people about their attitude to the male pill, which is still under test.

Judith Eberhardt, who led the team, is urging companies to make the pill in many forms to allay women's fears.

She said a male pill could be supplied as an implant or an injection, which would remove the need to take it daily.

Individual needs

Writing in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, Ms Eberhardt said: "Once the male pill is widely available, promotional campaigns could target not only men but also their female partners, as the latter tend to come into contact with health services more frequently.

"In order to increase confidence in effective implementation, a variety of presentations of the male pill should be made available in line with individual needs and lifestyles."

She told BBC News that men, particularly in the north east, were often reluctant to discuss health matters and women were afraid their male partners would forget to take the pill regularly.

Her study also revealed that men in stable sexual relationships were more positive about the male pill than those in casual sexual relationships.

"A positive attitude towards the male pill does not automatically imply that the individual is confident about its effective use," she said.

The survey, carried out last year, was conducted among students and people questioned at random.