Neem as Male Contraceptive

We got a call from a very distraught man yesterday. He was sure than men should not take neem internally because it causes abortions.

I’m not sure exactly what he was thinking, but there is no way neem could cause an abortion in men, no matter how high the dose.

Probably what happened is that he saw a 2011 report in the International Journal of Biomolecules and Biomedicine that’s making rounds on the Internet again. It’s a fascinating look at how neem has been used as a natural contraceptive for both men and women. He almost-for sure read this sentence in the abstract and jumped to a different conclusion:

“During in vitro (test tube) experiments, neem oil also totally immobilized sperm cells within 20 to 30 seconds of being in contact.”

Interestingly enough, the full report contradicts previous internet rumors about men in the Indian Army being injected with neem oil as a contraceptive. In fact, their wives were treated with neem oil vaginally after having sex. However, 20 married soldiers in the Russian Army took a daily oral dose of neem oil for a year. It took six weeks for the treatment to become effective and then six weeks before the effects were reversed after the treatment was discontinued.

And ironically, the goal of the study’s author, a professor in the department of pharmacy in an Indian university, was to promote the use of neem as a contraceptive.

Obviously we don’t have FDA approval to market neem as a contraceptive, but we know that’s how some of our customers are using it. Can anyone comment on this blog about their experiences?