Methods of contraception, hormonal

The Methods of contraception, hormonal - The use by women of synthetic progestogen drugs, often combined with synthetic oestrogens, to prevent conception. The combined pill (see oral contraceptives), the best-known form of hormonal contraception, contains both an oestrogen and a progestogen; it acts by suppressing ovulation (the release of an egg from an ovary).

Progestogen drugs make cervical mucus thick and impenetrable to sperm. They also cause thinning of the endometrium (lining of the uterus), which reduces the chance of a fertilized egg implanting successfully. Progestogens can be given as pills, as contraceptive implants under the skin, or by injection (see contraceptives, injectable), or they can be released into the uterus by some IUDs.