Hormonal Contraceptives and Post-fertilization Effects

Abstract

Hormonal contraceptives are widely used for birth control and therapeutic purposes. The mechanism of action proposed for these compounds can be found in several scientific journals published to date. The present work consists in a scoping review of a convenience sample of papers regarding the mechanisms of action of each of the three main classes of hormonal contraceptives available. Different parameters and biological consequences associated with their use were also reviewed. Based on these data, we evaluated the probability of embryo loss due to the use of hormonal contraceptives. Evidence indicates the probability of embryo loss due to post-fertilization effects.

Keywords: Abortifacient; Embryo loss; Hormonal contraceptives; Ovulation inhibition; Post-fertilization effect.