Neem and Birth Control

Neem oil can prevent pregnancy. In a test involving rhesus monkeys, neem oil applied intravaginally prevented pregnancy without side effects. Neem oil activates the local immune cell population, particularly the TH1 response, giving a direct spermicidal effect without apparent side effects. Neem oil kills sperm in the vagina in 30 seconds and is effective for up to 5 hours. Neem oil has also been found to prevent implantation- this effect is best seen up to a few days after implantation and is non-hormonal in its action. Neem oil and neem extracts have the added benefit of preventing vaginal and sexually transmitted diseases.

Neem could be an effective birth control ‘pill’ for men. Neem leaf tablets ingested for 1 month produced reversible male infertility without affecting sperm production or libido. This effect has been seen in humans, monkeys and rats. Other experiments confirm the effect with neem oil and neem leaf extracts. For long term birth control for men, a minute amount of neem oil injected into the vas deferens gives up to 8 months birth control with no obstructions, no reduction in testosterone and no anti-sperm antibodies.

In all these studies there is a call for more research and for clinical trials. This could lead to reproductive freedom for men and women, but clinical trials are expensive, the neem tree cannot be patented (it’s been tried) and so there is no incentive for any pharmaceutical companies to invest in such trials. However, this is cheap, effective and reversible contraception, with a plant extract that is plentiful in poorer countries, and which has an excellent safety record and no known side effects.