Birth control made with compounds from LOBSTER blocks 98 PERCENT of the nearly 100 million sperm trying to enter the cervix
- The new contraceptive is a gel that swaps hormones for tiny, fibrous compounds called chitosans
- Chitosans are a sugar found in the exoskeletons of lobster, shrimp, and crab
- This component not only eliminates side effects, but is 98 percent effective in blocking the penetration of sperm into the cervix
A new non-hormonal contraceptive promises to stop 98 percent of the nearly 100 million sperm released during ejaculation from reaching the cervix — and the key component comes from lobster.
Scientists at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute developed a vaginal gel made from tiny, fibrous compounds called chitosans, which are found in the exoskeletons of sea creatures, shrimp and crabs.
Once applied, the gel, which lasts for several hours, strengthens the cervical mucus barrier to prevent pregnancy without the side effects of traditional birth control methods, which are 91 to 99 percent effective.
Unlike current contraceptives, the team said their innovation doesn’t cause the unwanted side effects that sometimes discourage women from using such treatments.
The new gel replaces hormones with a natural ingredient derived from lobster. Birth control consists of tiny, fibrous compounds called chitosans, found in the exoskeletons of sea creatures along with shrimp and crab.
Thomas Crouzier, a biomaterials engineer at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden and co-author of the new study, said in a statement: “Vaginal gels like this can be applied in seconds.
“We envision that a product like this should be usable from seconds to a few hours before intercourse. The effects can last for hours but will wear off over time as the slime barrier is naturally replaced.”
While the tests were only conducted on sheep, chitosan showed similar effects in laboratory tests using human cervical mucus and semen, the team explained.
Hormonal contraceptives, which include implants, pills, injections, skin patches, and vaginal rings, are made up of estrogen and progesterone.
Progesterone prevents muscle contractions in the uterus that would cause a woman’s body to reject an egg.
Once applied, the gel, which lasts for several hours, strengthens the cervical mucus barrier to prevent pregnancy without the side effects of traditional birth control methods, which are 91 to 99 percent effective
However, this hormone causes headaches, diarrhea, and even bone pain.
KTHs swapped the hormones for chitosans, sugars on the outer skeleton that reduce fat and cholesterol that the body absorbs from food.
It also helps blood to clot when applied to wounds.
The new non-hormonal prophylactic gel combines mucus proteins called mucin with chitosan, which temporarily thickens cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to get through.
Crouzier said this mechanism uses cervical mucus’s natural ability to act as a barrier, isolating the vagina — where bacteria thrive — from the uterus and upper reproductive tract.
Cervical mucus also regulates sperm movement.
Before ovulation, the mucus barrier becomes a more selective gatekeeper, making exceptions for selecting sperm into the uterus.
“Chitosan molecules are ‘muco-adhesive’, meaning they interact with the mucus gel in the cervical canal. By interacting with the cervical mucus gel, the chitosan closes the pores of the gel, making it impossible for sperm to enter,” Crouzier told MedicalNewsToday.
“The sperm, which have to travel through the cervix to get into the uterus, encounter this modified mucus and are slowed down. The sperm that remains in the vagina is naturally deactivated over time by the vaginal environment — low pH and immune response to sperm.”