Remote-Controlled Birth Control

The birth control of the future could be as easy as the click of a remote control. MicroCHIPS, a Massachusetts company, is in the process of developing a birth control microchip that gets implanted into a woman's skin and could last up to 16 years. With a plan to hit the market in 2018, this chip could replace the common once-a-day pill regimen.

The fingertip-sized chip is inserted into the body, and microreservoirs within the chip that are filled with drugs can be turned on or off using a remote control. This would make it possible to easily turn the birth control off as desired, simplifying the process of long-term family planning.

Inspiration for the technology came from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has granted over $4.6 million in funding for the project. According to the MIT Technology Review, the Microsoft founder himself proposed the idea during a visit to the MIT lab of scientist Robert Langer, who had already been working on the implant technology as a way to treat the degenerative bone disease, osteoporosis. Though none of the technology is available on the market now, it could prove to be an exciting step forward in both science and medicine.

Given the option, would you try remote-controlled birth control?