Developing New Contraceptives Obstacles and Opportunities (1990) / Chapter Skim
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3 The Current Status of Contraceptive Research
3 The Current Status of Contraceptive Research
Pages 30-40
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From page 30... ...
We have also included a brief overview of important modifications of existing methods to enable readers to evaluate more knowledgeably the range of potential innovations that changes in public policies could yield. RESEARCH LEADS Dramatic changes in the range of available contraceptive technology are unlikely to occur in the 1990s (Djerassi, 1987; Harper, 1983~.
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From page 31... ...
Based on a 1980 survey of contraceptive development experts, the congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) named nine fertility control methods as "highly likely before 1990" (OTA, 1981~.
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From page 32... ...
The vaginal ring consists of a silicone rubber ring about the size of a diaphragm that continuously releases steroids to suppress ovulation and thicken the cervical mucus, thereby preventing sperm from entering the uterus. Vaginal rings have the
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From page 33... ...
Research is most advanced on a continuous-wear vaginal ring containing levonorgestrel, the same progestin used in some oral contraceptives. However, the pregnancy rate observed in clinical trials of the ring was higher than that of oral contraceptives.
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From page 34... ...
LHRH analogues also block production of estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries; if these hormones are replaced by drug therapy, the resulting side effects might negate any advantages LHRH analogues have over existing steroidal methods (Wiedhaup, 1988~. Male Methods Although sperm antigens have been tested for use in women, their use in a reversible vaccine for men is not considered feasible because destroying sperm production capability would lead to permanent sterility (Harper and Sanford, 1980~.
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From page 35... ...
The main focus of research on natural family planning methods has been devicesforpredicting ovulation or detecting when ovulation has occurred in order to pinpoint more accurately the time for periodic abstinence. In some Western countries, the first models of a "personal rhythm clock," which uses a highprecision thermometer and calculator to interpret daily fluctuations in body temperature, and an "ovutimer," which analyzes changes in cervical mucus, are on the market.
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From page 36... ...
Researchers have been exploring various techniques for reversible female sterilization, but there are no major leads on the horizon. Clips, bands, fimbrial hoods, and plugs to obstruct the fallopian tubes have been tested, but none has proven to significantly increase reversibility.
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From page 37... ...
The"Shug" device, which consists of two silicone plugs joined by a nylon thread, is in clinical teals in the United States. Early results are promising, but even if research continues to progress smoothly, it will be several years before the device could be approved and available (Program for Applied Research on Fertility Regulation, 1987; Contraceptive Research and Development Program, 1988~.
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From page 38... ...
In August 1988, a New Drug Application was filled for NORPLANT~ with the I;DA. In April 1989 the Fertility and Maternal Health Drug Advisory Committee of the FDA unanimously recommended that NORPLANT~ be approved for marketing in the United States.
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From page 39... ...
Oarlock silicone plugs, used for female sterilization and thought to increase the prospects of reversibility, are already available in the Netherlands. CONCLUSION People in the United States currently have limited options for fertility control and fewer contraceptive choices than people in several other industrialized countries and in some developing countries as well.
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From page 40... ...
Moreover, there are continuing opportunities for basic research in reproductive biology, which may yield significant contraceptive leads. Accelerated efforts to develop and introduce new contraceptive products to the market would lead to a wider variety of contraceptive options for women and men in the United States and abroad and would result in safer, more effective, and more acceptable contraception for a much broader population than is being served by existing methods.
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