Birth Control and Oral Contraceptives

Levonorgestrel, is an emergency hormonal contraceptive used to help prevent a pregnancy when taken within 72 hours (3 days) of having had unprotected or if usual method of contraception has failed. It is also i available as a T-shaped intrauterine delivery system (IUD) which is used for the prevention of pregnancy (contraception) for up to three years.

Levonorgestrel as an immediate contraceptive measure is thought to work by

• Stopping ovaries from releasing an egg.
• Preventing from fertilizing any egg that may have already released.
• Stopping a fertilized egg from attaching itself to womb lining.

Contraception.

Combination oral contraceptives inhibits ovulation, other alterations include changes in the cervical mucus and changes in the endometrium (which reduce the likelihood of implantation). They reduce penetration if ovulation does occur by altering the cervical mucus; cause changes in the endometrium which reduce the risk of nidation and may change the tubal transport of the ova through the fallopian tubes.

Mirena is the brand name of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, which is used to prevent pregnancy.

It may also be used to treat heavy menstrual bleeding in women who want to prevent pregnancy.

Levonorgestrel, the active ingredient in contraceptives known as “morning-after pills,” is a form of the hormoneprogestin and is in a class of medicines known as hormonal contraceptives.

• Medroxyprogesteone is used in the treatment of cancer in the breast, kidney (in men and women), in the lining of the womb (endometrial cancer), cancer which has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic cancer) in post-menopausal women (women who have stopped having their periods). It is also used to treat conditions such as absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea), irregular menstrual periods, abnormal uterine bleeding, decrease the risk of endometrial hyperplasia (a condition that may lead to uterine cancer) while taking estrogens and endometriosis (painful disorder in which endometrium a tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus grows outside your uterus). It is also used as a long acting contraceptive.
• Medroxyprogesteone is one of a group of medicines called ''progestogens'' which act like progesterone, a natural hormone. It can slow down the growth of certain tumors which are sensitive to hormones. As a contraceptive, it acts by preventing an egg being from fully developed and released from the ovaries, changes the lining of your womb and thickens the mucus at the entrance of the womb which makes pregnancy less likely to occur.