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Review
. 2023 Jul 20;12(14):4791.
doi: 10.3390/jcm12144791.

Non-Hormonal Contraception

Sarah Anne Howard  1 , Soumya Rahima Benhabbour  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Non-Hormonal Contraception

Sarah Anne Howard et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

While hormonal contraceptives are efficacious and available in several forms for women, perception of safety and concern over side effects are a deterrent for many. Existing non-hormonal contraceptives include permanent sterilization, copper intrauterine devices (IUDs), chemical/physical barriers such as spermicides and condoms, as well as traditional family planning methods including withdrawal and the rhythm method. Individuals who wish to retain their fertility in the future can achieve highest adherence and efficacy with long-acting, reversible contraceptives (LARCs), though there is only one, the copper IUD, that is non-hormonal. As rates of unintended pregnancies remain high with existing contraceptive options, it is becoming increasingly attractive to develop novel pregnancy prevention methods for both women and men. Non-hormonal contraceptives can target a variety of critical reproductive processes discussed here. This review focuses on identified non-hormonal contraceptive targets and subsequent drug candidates in development.

Keywords: contraceptive; long-acting; non-hormonal; reversible.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Oogenesis and Stage-Related Contraceptive Targets.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Spermatogenesis and Stage-Related Contraceptive Targets.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Post-gametogenesis Reproductive Processes and Stage-Related Contraceptive Targets (table in Section 3.2).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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