| dc.description.abstract |
Progestogens were first suggested as possible contraceptives in the 1920s, butit was not until the early 1960s that effective progestogen-only contraceptivemethods were developed. Since then it has become possible to deliver a rangeof different progestogens at varying doses, by a variety of routes, overgreatly differing durations of time. Some of these systems have demonstratedextraordinarily high contraceptive efficacy with relatively few side-effectsapart from unpredictable, but almost universal, disturbances of the menstrualpattern. It is now recognized that some systems may exhibit substantialnon-contraceptive health benefits, which should become an important part ofthe overall performance profile of each method. The high technology anddiffering attributes associated with some of the systems raise importantconsiderations in relation to user’s perceptions and programmaticrequirements. Overall, progestogens are able to offer women a varied range ofvaluable choices for contraception. The differing performance characteristicsof these methods now provide women with a major portion of their currentcontraceptive choices. |
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