Remote Control Contraception Is Happening

08/01/2015 12:42 | Updated 20 May 2015

There aren't many downsides to having access to free birth control, but forgetting to take it is definitely one of them.

So, what if there was just one pill that meant you wouldn't have to worry about contraception for 16 years? It sounds almost impossible, but a new project funded by the Gates Foundation is trying to make it happen.

Birth control pills blister pack

The Health Site reports Massachusetts-based MicroCHIPS is developing a clever drug delivery system which will allow birth control to be switched on or off.

The 20 x 20 x 7 millimeter device can be implanted under the skin to dispense levonorgestrel into the body. Although 16 years worth of this hormone can be stored in one chip, only a small dose (30 micro-grammes) will be diffused each day.

And if you want to take a break from birth control? The MicroCHIPS report states a woman can simply turn off the implant with a remote control, then switch it back on at the click of a button. It can then be removed from the body after 16 years.

Preclinical testing is set to start in 2015 with a plan to release the product onto the market in 2018, though The Verge recently reported on the security issues around using such a device after it emerged they are susceptible to hacking.

Is the remote control pill a good idea and would you try it? Tweet us your thoughts @MyDailyUK.


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