Contraceptive

A Rutgers University professor recently discovered a new oral contraceptive he claims produces none of the side effects of the conventional pill.

The discoverer, Dr. Harry Kent, associate professor at the Bureau of Biological Research at Rutgers, said yesterday the drug is made up of four amino acids and could provide "a safe oral contraceptive that could theoretically be taken only once a month."

Kent said his discovery is so safe "you could take it by the pound and eat it."

The new pill must be tested furtehr and will probably take four or five years to reach the mass market, he added.

The new drug prevents the development of the Graafian follicles and thus stops the passage of the egg to the womb, but has no lasting effect on the reproductive tract, Kent said.

He added he hopes further research will show exactly how the new contraceptive works.