Is this the end of the pill as we know it? Fertility experts make an on-demand contraceptive that women take just BEFORE having sex
- Researchers identify an “on-demand” therapy that could be taken just before sex
- Combination of morning-after pill and arthritis medication disrupted ovulation
- They said drugs are the “best candidate” for on-demand oral contraception
Taking the pill every day could soon be a thing of the past for women who use birth control.
Researchers at Stanford University in California have found what they think is “promising” on-demand therapy – meaning it could be taken right before sex.
A combination of the morning-after pill and an arthritis drug has been found to “disrupt ovulation during peak fertility.”
They said the cocktail – given in two pills – was the “best candidate” for oral contraception, taken just before sex.
The treatment works by interrupting ovulation, the point in the menstrual cycle when a woman is most likely to become pregnant, and this is how the pill works.
The researchers wanted to see if a combination of existing medications could be taken during the luteal spurt – three days before ovulation – to act as an on-demand contraceptive pill at that moment of “peak fertility.” Currently, contraceptive pills must be carried to work every day, with condoms and diaphragms being the only available on-demand contraceptives
The researchers said patients and doctors are “very interested” in developing an on-demand contraceptive.
Current birth control pills can cause side effects like mood swings, nausea, and headaches, and slightly increase the risk of blood clots and cervical cancer.
Currently, birth control pills must be taken daily or three weeks per month to be effective, with condoms and diaphragms being the only on-demand contraceptives available.
Nine women aged 18 to 35 were given a single dose of 30 mg ulipristal acetate and 30 mg meloxicam during the luteal surge – the days leading up to ovulation, when it is most difficult to interrupt.
WHICH CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS ARE THERE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE?
Contraception aims to prevent pregnancy. A woman can become pregnant when a man’s sperm reaches one of her eggs.
Contraception tries to prevent this by keeping the egg and sperm separate, by stopping egg production, or by preventing the sperm and egg from attaching to the lining of the womb.
Contraception is free for most people in the UK. Available options include:
- caps or diaphragms
- combined pill
- condoms
- contraceptive implant
- contraceptive shot
- contraceptive patch
- female condoms
- IUD (Intrauterine Device or IUD)
- IUS (intrauterine system or hormonal coil)
- Natural Family Planning (Fertility Awareness)
- progestin-only pill
- vaginal ring
Ulipristal acetate – sold as ellaOne – stops or delays the release of an egg.
As it is currently used, it must be taken within five days of intercourse to prevent pregnancy and is not currently intended as a regular form of contraception.
Meloxicam, sold under brand names like Mobic, is an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat long-term conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis.
While the morning-after pill disrupts ovulation before the luteal spurt begins, meloxicam has previously been found to disrupt ovulation even after the luteal spurt has started.
The study looked at nine participants who were monitored for two menstrual cycles for approximately two months to identify their normal ovulation patterns and the timing of their luteal surge.
In their third cycle, they received the drug cocktail. To determine if ovulation occurred or was abnormal, ultrasound scans and blood tests were done to measure key hormones.
The drug was considered an effective contraceptive when it disrupted ovulation.
The results, published in the journal BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, show that ovulation was disrupted in six of the women, while eight met some criteria for incomplete ovulation.
During the cycle that the women were taking the drugs, their menstrual cycles lengthened by three days, from 29 to 32, and their progesterone levels were lower. One participant reported irregular bleeding.
The researchers said the results were “promising” and suggest the drug combination can disrupt ovulation “when the risk of conception is at its highest.”
This makes it a “promising candidate for evaluation as a pericoital (at the time of intercourse) oral contraceptive,” they added.
However, they noted that more studies are needed on the performance of the drug combination and the side effects they produce.
The results also suggest that taking meloxicam with ulipristal acetate might increase the effectiveness of the morning-after pill, they said.