Emerging female contraceptives

Abstract

Introduction: Fifty years after the first contraceptive, the market remains restricted regarding composition, cost and routes of administration, and satisfying the needs of millions of women with different requirements according to their stage in life.

Areas covered: Women need contraception for almost 30 years of their life. Currently available contraceptives are highly effective with few side effects. This review provides information on emerging female contraceptives including some registered and others at different stages of development. Research efforts aim to reduce costs, improve acceptability and refine 'forgettable' reversible methods. Although developing and testing a new method is laborious and expensive, many new contraceptives are currently under development including different routes of administration.

Expert opinion: New methods should be affordable, simple to use and suitable for many women. Much work remains to be done and new methods that act on the fusion process between both gametes are desirable without affecting the hormonal milieu.