male contraceptive study impressions

[Dan Kegel]

I am in a medical study of a proposed male contraceptive;
in the study, four norplant capsules were implanted in the arm,
and testosterone was given (either via weekly injection or
via a patch) to maintain secondary sexual characteristics.

I just hit the five month mark, which is the end of the active
part of the study, so they removed the norplant implants.

For me, it seemed to be effective; my sperm count dropped to
zero shortly after the implantation, and stayed there throughout
the study. Now they'll follow me for a couple months to make sure
I return to normal.

The implants were hard to see unless I flexed my biceps.
Normally I couldn't tell they were there, but they seemed to
be just barely noticably sore for a week or so after lifting
weights. As soon as they were removed, the discomfort went away.
It's three days now since they took the implants out, and
the incision is starting to feel better (it's not especially fun
having a hole cut in your arm).

Still trying to decide how the implants and the testosterone
injections affected my mood. My wife says I tended to chase
parked cars and growl for several days after each injection :-)

- Dan