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Emergency contraception (EC) is a birth control measure, used after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy.
The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), often referred to as the birth control pill or colloquially as "the pill", is a type of birth control that is designed to be taken orally by women. It is the oral form of combined hormonal contraception. The pill contains two important hormones: a progestin and estrogen. When taken correctly, it alters the menstrual cycle to eliminate ovulation and prevent pregnancy.
Levonorgestrel is a hormonal medication which is used in a number of birth control methods. It is combined with an estrogen to make combination birth control pills. As an emergency birth control, sold under the brand names Plan B One-Step and Julie, among others, it is useful within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The more time that has passed since sex, the less effective the medication becomes, and it does not work after pregnancy (implantation) has occurred. Levonorgestrel works by preventing ovulation or fertilization from occurring. It decreases the chances of pregnancy by 57 to 93%. In an intrauterine device (IUD), such as Mirena among others, it is effective for the long-term prevention of pregnancy. A levonorgestrel-releasing implant is also available in some countries.
A contraceptive patch, also known as "the patch", is a transdermal patch applied to the skin that releases synthetic oestrogen and progestogen hormones to prevent pregnancy. They have been shown to be as effective as the combined oral contraceptive pill with perfect use, and the patch may be more effective in typical use.
Progestogen-only pills (POPs), colloquially known as "mini pills", are a type of oral contraceptive that contain synthetic progestogens (progestins) and do not contain estrogens. They are primarily used for the prevention of undesired pregnancy, although additional medical uses also exist.
Ethinylestradiol (EE) is an estrogen medication which is used widely in birth control pills in combination with progestins. In the past, EE was widely used for various indications such as the treatment of menopausal symptoms, gynecological disorders, and certain hormone-sensitive cancers. It is usually taken by mouth but is also used as a patch and vaginal ring.
Extended or continuous cycle combined oral contraceptive pills are a packaging of combined oral contraceptive pills (COCPs) that reduce or eliminate the withdrawal bleeding that would occur once every 28 days in traditionally packaged COCPs. It works by reducing the frequency of the pill-free or placebo days. Extended cycle use of COCPs may also be called menstrual suppression, although other hormonal medications or medication delivery systems may also be used to suppress menses. Any brand of combined oral contraceptive pills can be used in an extended or continuous manner by simply discarding the placebo pills; this is most commonly done with monophasic pills in which all of the pills in a package contain the same fixed dosing of a synthetic estrogen and a progestin in each active pill.
Desogestrel is a progestin medication which is used in birth control pills for women. It is also used in the treatment of menopausal symptoms in women. The medication is available and used alone or in combination with an estrogen. It is taken by mouth.
Drospirenone is a progestin and antiandrogen medication which is used in birth control pills to prevent pregnancy and in menopausal hormone therapy, among other uses. It is available both alone under the brand name Slynd and in combination with an estrogen under the brand name Yasmin among others. The medication is an analog of the drug spironolactone. Drospirenone is taken by mouth.
Norelgestromin, or norelgestromine, sold under the brand names Evra and Ortho Evra among others, is a progestin medication which is used as a method of birth control for women. The medication is available in combination with an estrogen and is not available alone. It is used as a patch that is applied to the skin.
Norgestrel is a progestin which is used in birth control pills sold under the brand name Ovral in combination with the estrogen ethinylestradiol and Opill by itself. It is also used in menopausal hormone therapy. It is taken by mouth.
A contraceptive vaginal ring is a type of hormonal insert that is placed in the vagina for the purpose of birth control. The rings themselves utilize a plastic polymer matrix that is inlaid or embedded with contraceptive drug. This drug, often one or two hormones, is absorbed directly through the bloodstream through the cells that line the vaginal wall. Some vaginal rings contain both an estrogen and a progestin, which are available in Europe and the United States. Other vaginal rings contain just progesterone. The progesterone-only ring is only available in Latin America, exclusively for postpartum breastfeeding parents.
Hormonal contraception refers to birth control methods that act on the endocrine system. Almost all methods are composed of steroid hormones, although in India one selective estrogen receptor modulator is marketed as a contraceptive. The original hormonal method—the combined oral contraceptive pill—was first marketed as a contraceptive in 1960. In the ensuing decades many other delivery methods have been developed, although the oral and injectable methods are by far the most popular. Hormonal contraception is highly effective: when taken on the prescribed schedule, users of steroid hormone methods experience pregnancy rates of less than 1% per year. Perfect-use pregnancy rates for most hormonal contraceptives are usually around the 0.3% rate or less. Currently available methods can only be used by women; the development of a male hormonal contraceptive is an active research area.
Dienogest, sold under the brand name Visanne among others, is a progestin medication which is used in birth control pills and in the treatment of endometriosis. It is also used in menopausal hormone therapy and to treat heavy periods. Dienogest is available both alone and in combination with estrogens. It is taken by mouth.
Combined injectable contraceptives (CICs) are a form of hormonal birth control for women. They consist of monthly injections of combined formulations containing an estrogen and a progestin to prevent pregnancy.
Drospirenone/ethinylestradiol/levomefolic acid (EE/DRSP/LMF), sold under the brand name Beyaz among others, is a combination of ethinylestradiol (EE), an estrogen, drospirenone (DRSP), a progestogen, antimineralocorticoid, and antiandrogen, and levomefolic acid (LMF), a form of vitamin B9, which is used as a birth control pill to prevent pregnancy in women. The formulation contains folate as the calcium salt of levomefolic acid to lower the risk of complications such as fetal neural tube defects should the medication fail as a form of birth control. EE/DRSP/LMF was approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2010.
Abraham Albert "Al" Yuzpe is a Canadian obstetrician-gynecologist known for his work on human fertility and emergency contraception. The Yuzpe regimen, named after him, is a method of reducing potential unwanted pregnancies, including pregnancy from rape. He published the first studies demonstrating the method's safety and efficacy in 1974.
Combined hormonal contraception (CHC), or combined birth control, is a form of hormonal contraception which combines both an estrogen and a progestogen in varying formulations.
Estradiol enantate/algestone acetophenide, also known as estradiol enantate/dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide (E2-EN/DHPA) and sold under the brand names Perlutal and Topasel among others, is a form of combined injectable birth control which is used to prevent pregnancy. It contains estradiol enantate (E2-EN), an estrogen, and algestone acetophenide, a progestin. The medication is given once a month by injection into muscle.
Estradiol valerate/cyproterone acetate (EV/CPA), sold under the brand names Climen and Femilar among others, is a combination product of estradiol valerate (EV), an estrogen, and cyproterone acetate (CPA), a progestogen, which is used in menopausal hormone therapy and as a birth control pill to prevent pregnancy in women. It is taken by mouth. Climen, which is used in menopausal hormone therapy, is a sequential preparation that contains 2 mg estradiol valerate and 1 mg CPA. It was the first product for use in menopausal hormone therapy containing CPA to be marketed and is available in more than 40 countries. Femilar, which is an estradiol-containing birth control pill, contains 1 to 2 mg estradiol valerate and 1 to 2 mg CPA, and has been approved for use in Finland since 1993.
References
- 1 2 Kaunitz, Andrew M. "Emergency contraception". UpToDate.
- ↑ "Randomised controlled trial of levonorgestrel versus the Yuzpe regimen of combined oral contraceptives for emergency contraception. Task Force on Postovulatory Methods of Fertility Regulation". Lancet. 352 (9126): 428–33. 8 August 1998. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(98)05145-9. PMID 9708750. S2CID 25085328.
- ↑ Ashok PW, Stalder C, Wagaarachchi PT, Flett GM, Melvin L, Templeton A (May 2002). "A randomised study comparing a low dose of mifepristone and the Yuzpe regimen for emergency contraception". BJOG. 109 (5): 553–60. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2002.01371.x . PMID 12066946.
- ↑ Haspels AA (Aug 1994). "Emergency contraception: a review". Contraception . 50 (2): 101–8. doi:10.1016/0010-7824(94)90046-9. PMID 7956209.
- ↑ Yuzpe AA, Smith RP, Rademaker AW (1982). "A multicenter clinical investigation employing ethinyl estradiol combined with dl-norgestrel as postcoital contraceptive agent". Fertil Steril. 37 (4): 508–513. doi: 10.1016/S0015-0282(16)46157-1 . PMID 7040117.
- ↑ Yuzpe AA, Thurlow HJ, Ramzy I, Leyshon JI (August 1974). "Post coital contraception—A pilot study". J Reprod Med. 13 (2): 53–8. PMID 4844513.