Hormones in birth control pills could be significantly reduced: study

April 14, 2023 – Birth control pills and other forms of birth control could still prevent pregnancy with dramatically reduced levels of estrogen and progesterone, a new study said.

According to the study, published in Computational Biology PLOS. But contraceptives should be dispensed at a specific time in a woman’s menstrual cycle. Doses could be further reduced by combining these hormones, the researchers said.

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City arrived at their conclusions by using a computer model of the menstrual cycle and adding real data on the hormone levels of 23 women aged 20 to 34 with menstrual cycles. normal.

The researchers said their computer simulations showed it was more effective to administer the estrogen-based contraceptive in the mid-follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. This is the first of two stages in a normal cycle for a woman.

Reducing hormone levels would bring many health benefits, said Pamela Berens, MD, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. Health line.

“It reduces the potential risks of complications and side effects,” she said.

Complications from high hormone doses include blood clots, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, and strokes. Side effects include nausea, breast tenderness, bloating and moodiness.

The study comes as pharmaceutical companies are gradually reducing the amounts of hormones in contraceptives, experts say.

“Over the years, safer contraception has been achieved by reducing the dose of hormonal contraceptives,” Brenda Lyn Gavina, one of the researchers, told the outlet. “Our study suggests a method of how ovulation can be suppressed. When more data becomes available, our mathematical model could be coupled with a pharmacokinetic model to obtain patient-specific dosing regimens.