Contraception (Birth Control) and Family Planning PubHealthInfo

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PubHealth.info® (a subsidiary of PakMed) presents scientific information mainly based on abstracts of articles published on a variety of public health issues/topics, particularly encompassing population planning, disease prevention, maternal and child health, and communicable and non-communicable diseases (like HIV AIDS, malaria, etc) that are affecting a significant portion of population in developing and developed countries. Here you can find abstracts of articles published on a variety of public health topics under category "Contraception (Birth Control) and Family Planning". Contraception (birth control) is a regimen of one or more actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelihood of a woman becoming pregnant or giving birth. Therefore contraception is the utilization of various and sundry surgical procedures, devices, practices, agents, or drugs with the intention of preventing conception or impregnation (pregnancy). Methods and intentions typically termed birth control may be considered a pivotal ingredient to family planning. Birth control is a controversial political and ethical issue in many cultures and religions, and although it is generally less controversial than abortion specifically.

YEAR: 1993

CATEGORY: Contraception (Birth Control) and Family Planning

TITLE

Evolution of steroids and their contraceptive and therapeutic use.

AUTHORS

Henzl MR

SOURCE

In: Contraception, edited by Donna Shoupe, Florence P. Haseltine. New York,

New York, Springer-Verlag, 1993. :1-16. Clinical Perspectives in Obstetrics and

ABSTRACT

In this chapter of a book on contraception, the evolution of our knowledge about steroids is traced from the initial

experiments of Arnold Berthold in 1849 through organ extraction, isolation, chemical identification, and synthesis.

This information is presented in textual and tabular form with year, country, researcher, and discovery/contribution

delineated. Development of the first oral progestational agent, ethinyltestosterone, is described and illustrated with a

figure showing the importance of the ethinyl group on C-17 of the estradiol molecule for oral activity of steroids. The

numbering system of the steroid molecule is also shown. The 3 events which acted to spur research, World War II

rumors of German flyers receiving adrenal hormones to enhance survival, the discovery that clinical application of

cortisone alleviates the crippling and painful symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and the realization of the necessity

and general acceptance of family planning are then discussed. The early experimental work in hormonal

contraception is presented with particular emphasis on the research of Gregory Pincus. The 1944 discovery by

Ehrenstein at the University of Pennsylvania that a pregestationally-active compound could be produced by splitting

off the C-19 methyl group from the biologically inactive isoprogesterone is illustrated in a figure. This discovery of

the 19-nor (no radical) steroids made modern hormonal contraception possible. The final step in the original

synthesis of norethindrone was taken by Djerassi, and a copy of the laboratory recording of the data is included.

Further manipulation of the progesterone molecule is discussed along with practical methods of hormonal

contraception, novel contraceptive combinations, and the postcoital concepts of interception and contragestion (with

RU-486). After a consideration of multifaceted biologic properties of steroids and their clinical utilization, the

chapter ends with a discussion of how current developments will affect future research. (PubHealth.info Document

ID: CONT3T 21-06)

PubHealth.info NOTE: The author(s) of this article titled, "Evolution of steroids and their contraceptive and

therapeutic use.", is(are) Henzl MR. The source of this article is "In: Contraception, edited by Donna Shoupe,

Florence P. Haseltine. New York, New York, Springer-Verlag, 1993. :1-16. Clinical Perspectives in Obstetrics and

Gynecology". This article was published in 1993 in English language(s). (PubHealth.info® Document ID: CONT3T

21-06. All rights reserved with PubHealth.info) PIN: 10021

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