REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesia will mass produce birth control pills for men. The pill -dubged as the only first one in the world- was invented by Bambang Prajogo, a Professor of the Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry Faculty of Pharmacy, Airlangga University in Surabaya, East Java.
Prajogo called his discoveries with 'Justicia gendarussa' and it would be produced massively by state-owned pharmaceutical firm, PT Indofarma in 2014. "In early stage, the birth controll pills for men will be produced for the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN). Next, it will be sold directly to fill export market," Director of Indofarma, Elfiano Rizaldi, said on Wednesday.
Prajogo explained he was inspired by Papuan tribesmen who used Gendarussa plants to prevent pregnancy. According to local custom, new couple who have just got married but cannot afford the dowry, they are not permitted to have child. To prevent the pregnancy, they boiled leaves of Gendarussa for hours to remove the poison.
Gendarussa plants can be found in Papua and Asia. The plant grows at the altitude of 400 meters above sea level. The birth controll pills for men have been through clinical trials many times.