- Researchers recently looked at hormone levels in contraceptive devices to determine whether it is possible to reduce levels of hormones and still have the contraceptives be effective at preventing ovulation.
- University of the Philippines Diliman scientists used computer modeling to determine how much they could reduce the hormone dosage by.
- Their results showed that they could reduce hormones in estrogen-only contraceptives by as much as 92% and still block ovulation.
Hormonal contraceptives are a popular option for preventing pregnancy.
Sometimes they can cause side effects, though, which led a group of researchers in the Philippines to find out whether it is possible to both lower the hormone dosage in contraceptives and the administration timing while retaining their effectiveness.
Their study, which appears in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, suggests that it is possible to reduce hormones in both estrogen-only and progesterone-only contraceptives by a significant degree and still prevent ovulation.
Doctors often prescribe hormonal contraceptives to female patients who are trying to prevent pregnancy. According to the
Hormonal contraceptive devices work by using synthetic hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, to prevent pregnancy.
They can work in multiple ways, including stopping ovulation or causing the uterine lining to thin so that an implanted egg cannot attach.
A few types of hormonal contraceptives include pills, which can be a combination pill or progestin-only, the arm implant (Nexplanon), the contraceptive patch (Xulane), and intrauterine devices or IUDs (Mirena or Skyla).
In addition to prescribing contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, sometimes doctors will prescribe them to help those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to reduce the size of…
Read the full article here