It’s Friday and time for a little medical news of the weird.

If I have an outpatient imaging center or IR practice, this is one service I don’t want to get involved with: therapeutic ultrasound as a temporary male contraceptive.

A Fox News report detailed research at the University of North Carolina using therapeutic ultrasound to heat a man’s testes to halt sperm production for up to six months without causing permanent damage. Preclinical research has proven this male contraceptive concept in rats and the researchers hope to launch human trials as early as next year. The 10 to 15 minute procedure could be performed in a medical office.

A temporary procedure that lasts “up to” six months—but might not—has the potential for unintended consequences that imagers should want no part of in their practice. Why do I think that men lying about “having the ultrasound thing done last month” will lead to women having their own ultrasound exams done a few months later.

This whole idea would be an exception to yesterday’s post about radiology not freely relinquishing control of imaging procedures. Let someone else do this one.