Abstract
The demand for fertility control is expected to increase in the next two to three decades as the number of couples in the reproductive age groups in developing countries alone is expected to grow to nearly 1 billion. The crucial issues in the future will therefore be aimed at optimizing the use of currently available methods and making them safe, effective and acceptable, with minor alterations in composition or delivery system. In addition, there should be new developments in contraceptive technology.
In this paper, an update will be given of the work presently underway on improving existing methods of fertility control and also on the research being undertaken on possible new contraceptive methods.
It is extremely difficult to predict with certainty the future direction of contraceptive technology. Workers and ‘seers’ in the field of contraceptive research predict no completely novel breakthrough in this century at least. Yet there is hope for some novel breakthrough in contraceptive technology from the work which is being done at present by independent researchers. Perhaps, these may bear fruit in the twenty-first century.
Resumé
On s'attend à un accroissement de la demande pour la régulation de la fécondité au cours des deux ou trois prochaines décennies car le nombre de couples qui se trouvent dans les groupes en âge de reproduire devrait augmenter d'environ un milliard dans les seuls pays en développement. L'objectif crucial pour l'avenir sera par conséquent d'optimaliser l'usage des méthodes actuellement accessibles, de les rendre sûres, efficaces et acceptables en leur apportant des modifications mineures dans la composition ou le mode d'administration. De plus, il faudra que de nouveaux progrès soient faits dans le domaine technique de la contraception.
Cet article présente une mise à jour des travaux en cours pour améliorer les méthodes actuelles de la régulation de la fécondité et les recherches entreprises sur d'éventuelles nouvelles méthodes contraceptives.
Il est extrêmement difficile de prévoir avec certitude l'orientation que prendra dans l'avenir la technologie contraceptive. Les travailleurs et les chercheurs dans ce domaine ne prévoient pas de découverte totalement innovatrice, avant la fin de ce siècle tout au moins. On espère toutefois en quelque découverte originale dans la technologie contraceptive, grâce au travail réalisé actuellement par des chercheurs indépendants. Le 21ème siècle en verra peut-être les fruits.
Resumen
Se estima que aumentará la demanda de regulación de la fecundidad durante el curso de las próximas dos o tres décadas ya que el número de parejas en edad reproductora habrá de incrementarse a casi mil millones. El objetivo crucial del futuro será en consecuencia optimizar el empleo de métodos actualmente disponibles, y hacerlos seguros, eficaces y aceptables mediante modificaciones de tipo menor en la composición o el modo de administración. Además, habrá nuevos adelantos en la tecnologiá de la anticoncepción.
En esta monografía se presentará una actualización de los trabajos en vías de realización para mejorar los métodos actuales de regulación de la fecundidad y las investigaciones que se efectúan sobre posibles métodos anticonceptivos neuvos.
Es muy difícil pronosticar con certeza la orientación que tendrá en el futuro la tecnología de la anticoncepción. Los trabajadores e investigadores de este campo no pronostican descubrimientos totalmente innovadores en este siglo por lo menos. Sin embargo, se espera algún descubrimiento original en la tecnología anticonceptiva gracias a los trabajos realizados actualmente por investigadores independientes. El siglo XXI podría quizá ver sus frutos.
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This paper is based on a presentation given at the Seventh International Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Contraception, which was held in Singapore on 4–11 November, 1990.
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Singh, K., Ratnam, S.S. New developments in contraceptive technology. Adv Contracept 7, 137–157 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01849404
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01849404