All it took was five minutes - with no pain at all - and Cape Town father Greg Faure found himself at the forefront of global scientific advances to offer men a new form of contraception right up there with the women's pill.

Part of a group of 20 Cape Town men, Faure is one of the first to put his body on the line to advance the cause of male contraception. The female contraceptive pill was introduced in the early 1960s, and Faure's stand is that a male equivalent has been "a long time coming".

The study will involve 60 men from three other centres - Nigeria, Shanghai and Hong Kong - who will try the male "pill" in the form of an implant.

Faure is aware that he is unlikely to benefit from the end product - it'll take between seven to nine years before it's likely to be available - but he is adamant he wants to do this for the next generation of young men.

'I like it much better this way'

The trial is being driven by Zephne van der Spuy, head of the University of Cape Town's department of obstetrics and gynaecology.

Her team, based at Groote Schuur Hospital, is part of the Contraceptive Development Network, established 10 years ago, based in Edinburgh and funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development.

Simply, the aim of the researchers is to secure a hormonal contraceptive alternative for men. Previous work has shown the efficacy of a combination of testosterone and a progestogen as a contraceptive agent in men.

Richard Anderson, an obstetrician gynaecologist who works in Edinburgh on the project and is visiting South Africa, explained that the first study involved testosterone pellets - about the size of a grain of rice - being inserted under the skin of the stomach. These were replaced every three months. In addition, the men took progestogen pills daily.

But because the men complained that they forgot to take their daily doses, the new trial has substituted the pills for a long-lasting implant. This is inserted under the skin on the inside of the upper arm. Anderson explained that the progestogen implant suppressed the hormones that normally stimulate the testes.

Men have traditionally enjoyed only three contraception choices - condoms, abstinence or a vasectomy - and Faure welcomes the idea that men could have other options.

"Just because men are in long-term relationships doesn't mean they want to have babies. And this will even the balance. It'll give men the chance to make their own decision about when they want to become a dad," he said.

"If you went out there and asked men how many of them actually made the decision to become fathers, you'll find that not many did."

Faure is 42 and has two sons, Rowan, 21, and Francois, 18, and a five-year-old daughter, Pascal.

"All my friends had vasectomies. But it just wasn't something I wanted done. This was so simple. When I heard about it I had no doubt that I wanted to be part of seeing this product reach the public," Faure said.

And for those men concerned that the implant may affect their performance or virility, Faure's the best person to offer that answer. "Everything's much more sensitive, and I'm far more energetic. I like it much better this way," he said.

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