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Top science award for sexual health scientist

Brendan Trembath reported this story on Thursday, November 15, 2012 08:25:00

TONY EASTLEY: One of the world's leading biologists, a specialist in the long neglected area of male reproductive health, has won a top Australian science award.

The University of Newcastle's laureate professor John Aitken has identified a major cause of male infertility.

He's also developed potential contraceptive agents that could prevent pregnancy and at the same time inhibit the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Professor Aitken told AM's Brendan Trembath that it's a tremendous honour to be named the 2012 New South Wales Scientist of the Year.

JOHN AITKEN: It's an honour not just for me but for the team of people I work with at the University of Newcastle and for the university itself. Hopefully it reminds us that not all the great science in New South Wales is done in Sydney.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: This is the first time the award has gone to a regional university in the five year history. Why are you in Newcastle? You of course came from the UK.

JOHN AITKEN: I did, yes. One day I got a random phone call asking me if I was interested in a chair at the University of Newcastle. And initially I thought they meant Newcastle on Tyne but when I finally orientated myself and came out here I really, really felt the place, the people and the university were wonderful and basically I have never looked back.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: You study something that is an international issue, reproductive health. Why the fascination?

JOHN AITKEN: I did a degree initially in biology and zoology in fact and became interested in reproduction in wild animals. And then at one point in my career I went and worked for the World Health Organization and had an opportunity to think about all the issues that affect human health.

And it seemed to me that while the most pressing issues were the fact that we are witnessing an exponential growth in the world's population. And I don't think it matters what you think ails the human population - whether it's poverty or pestilence or war or famine - all these things have their root cause in an unsustainable pace of population growth.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: And why focus on the male side of it?

JOHN AITKEN: Well, that was because our understanding of male reproduction is far behind our understanding of female reproduction. If you are a woman and you have a reproductive problem, that's fine, you can go to a hospital and there will be a department of obstetrics and gynaecology to greet you and people trained in female reproduction to sort out your condition. But if you are a male with a reproductive problem, there is no clinical department for you to go to.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: How difficult is it to sell the concept of male contraception?

JOHN AITKEN: There have been lots of surveys done on male contraception and generally speaking, particularly in married couples, I think it would be a useful addition to the contraceptive armoury if I can put it that way.

You know, in an ideal world the male and the female partner in a married couple would share the risk as well as the benefits of contraception. Outside of a stable relationship, it's a more difficult sell.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: And the really big sell, family planning and the Church - is that out of the question?

JOHN AITKEN: You know, it's very difficult to imagine that we can address fertility problems without contraception. The rhythm method of contraception which is accepted by the Church is not a very effective means of controlling fertility and right now in New South Wales alone one in four pregnancies are aborted.

So that just tells you that, you know, the methods of contraception that we have available now are not efficient and effective enough and we need much better forms of contraception.

TONY EASTLEY: Professor John Aitken from the University of Newcastle with Brendan Trembath.

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