Despite the ongoing legal battle surrounding the abortion pill mifepristone, a new study has revealed that contraceptives can be up to 92% less potent and maintain their effectiveness. An international team conducted the study, and it provides new insights into the chemical composition of birth control pills.
There has been a decline in birth control methods
Researchers from the US, the Philippines, and Denmark claim that despite a decline, birth control methods are still effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies by suppressing ovulation. The menstrual cycle involves several stages that are dependent on various hormone levels.
In order to prevent ovulation, the majority of birth control, including tablets, injections, and surgical implants, comprise either progesterone or estrogen, with some employing both hormones simultaneously. This is because chances of getting pregnant are high during ovulation, which is the time of the menstrual cycle when an egg leaves to the uterus.
The study analyzed the hormone levels of 23 women aged 20 to 34 with normal menstrual cycles. Researchers developed models to demonstrate the interaction between natural hormone levels and contraceptives. The models showed that a 92 percent drop in estrogen-only contraceptives and a 43 percent reduction in progesterone-only contraceptives could still be effective.
The controversy surrounding mifepristone approval
The combination of estrogen and progesterone can be used to reduce the doses of each hormone while considering the timing of their administration during the menstrual cycle, according to the study published on bioRxiv. The study suggests that these findings can help clinicians develop better therapies to suppress ovulation.
A US appellate court has revived FDA approval for mifepristone, a progesterone blocker that can terminate pregnancies in the first ten weeks of conception. Mifepristone works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is necessary for the development of the pregnancy. The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000, and it has become popular in pregnancy termination in the early stages. However, parts of a different court ruling that blocked access to abortion medication have been preserved, creating the possibility of a legal battle in the US Supreme Court.
