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Dr Odile Bagot (Gynecologist-obstetrician)
Medical validation:
April 16, 2023
According to researchers, the dose of hormones in common contraceptives could be significantly reduced while still being effective in preventing ovulation. Update on this discovery with Dr. Odile Bagot, obstetrician-gynecologist.
Weight gain, increased appetite, acne, pain, thrombosis, myocardial infarction… The possible side effects of high-dose oral contraceptives are of increasing concern. In this context, researchers have tried to reduce the dose of estrogen in common contraceptives…and the results are surprising to say the least.
A tiny dose of progesterone would be enough to prevent pregnancy
In this study, mathematician Brenda Lyn A. Gavina of the University of the Philippines and her team collected information on pituitary and ovarian hormone levels from 23 healthy women between the ages of 20 and 34. All reported regular menstrual cycles (which lasted between 25 and 35 days) and ovulated during their cycle.
Using this data, the researchers created a mathematical model that allowed them to predict daily hormone levels during a cycle and to study the effects of hormone administration on these levels.
Clearly, this modeling made it possible not only to predict the minimum hormonal dose necessary to obtain effective contraception, but also to understand the effects of the estrogen-progesterone duo.
Result ? Researchers have discovered that a 92% reduction in the dose of estrogen in common contraceptives (pills, implants, etc.) would be enough to prevent pregnancy.
“The results show that it is possible to reduce the total dose by 92% in estrogen monotherapy, by 43% in progesterone monotherapy“, assure the scientists, “and that it is more effective to administer the estrogen contraceptive in the middle of the follicular phase“.
Another notable finding from the study is that even lower doses of the two combined hormones (estrogen and progesterone) can be enough to prevent ovulation.”provided contraceptives are administered during a critical window of the menstrual cycle“, report the researchers.
“The results of this study have the potential to provide contraception to more women.“, they conclude, “especially since lower doses also decrease the chances of unwanted side effects“.
“Research must go in this direction”
Results, which go in the direction “history and progress“, says Dr. Odile Bagot, gynecologist-obstetrician.
“Small doses are sufficient to block the pituitary command of ovulation. Moreover, in some current contraceptives, there is almost no more estrogen. The small downside is that with these micro doses of hormones, we will have less tolerance to forgetting, to delay: we are more likely to get pregnant“, warns the gynecologist. “Research must therefore go in this direction, it is obvious, but perhaps by favoring deliveries with an endovaginal ring, which will deliver hormones continuously and regularly..”