Researchers estimate that with normal use, 9% of women in the United States who take the pill as birth control become pregnant each year. So a person must take an oral contraceptive every day and preferably at the same time of day for the medication to work. However, it can be difficult to maintain this rhythm regularly. The form of contraception can therefore also become less attractive. A new study in Science Translational Medicine presents a new alternative: a birth control pill that women only need to take once a month.
The pill once a month?
An unwanted pregnancy can be a life-changing experience for anyone. In developing countries and elsewhere, this can prevent women from experiencing financial hardship or dropping out of education. The pill, which is taken monthly, releases the common contraceptive drug levonorgestrel. This happens over a period of 4 weeks, the researchers explain.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 214 million women of childbearing age whoa pregnancyIf you want to prevent this, do not use modern contraceptive methods. Some believe that part of the problem is the inconvenience of daily oral contraceptives. So the authors of the new study hope that a monthly pill may prove more attractive.
“Developing a monthly version of a contraceptive could have a huge impact on global health. The impact that oral contraceptives can have on human health and gender equality cannot be overstated. That's what co-author Ameya Kirtane, Ph.D., from the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge says.
Birth control pills may not be the only type of medication the new system can deliver. Co-senior author Prof. Robert Langer, also from MIT, adds: "We are confident that this work - to our knowledge the first example of a one-month pill or capsule - will one day lead to potentially new modalities and options for women's health, as well as other indications. “
This is how the star-shaped birth control pill works
The monthly birth control pill has six rigid arms, each of which contains multiple doses of levonorgestrel. The arms are made of carefully selected polymer materials that take approximately 4 weeks to break down in the presence of stomach acid. The polymer arms gradually release the contraceptive into the stomach and bloodstream over the course of the month.
There is a rubbery hub in the middle. This means that the gelatin-coated, star-shaped structure can be folded and placed into a swallowable capsule. When stomach acid dissolves the gelatin, the star expands to a size that allows it to remain in the stomach without entering the digestive system until it has delivered its medicine. Researchers continue to experiment with conditions that cause the arms to break off, including changes in pH or temperature and exposure to certain chemicals.
Scientists have already tested the pill in pigs and found encouraging results. The authors report that the contraceptive was released at a constant rate over approximately 28 days. The amount of the drug found in the pigs' bloodstreams is about the same as in a human taking levonorgestrel daily. While levels of the drug fell from a daily tablet over 24 hours, the levels produced by the new variant remained constant for almost a month. More about the studygo here.
