Progesterone Essay

The model for male birth control has been based on previous female birth control models.“A study in Indonesia that employed both Depo-Provera, a progestin used as a contraceptive in women, and one form of testosterone resulted in a zero sperm count”(Alexander).The common long-term female birth control, Depo-Provera, it's now being used in trials as a form of male contraceptive. Depo-Provera is a combination of synthetic female hormones to create medroxyprogesterone acetate, or simulate progestin. This tried-and-true method along with an injection of testosterone leads to males resulting in zero sperm count. After 2 month of injections, progestin stops the production of sperm (Hutson). The Progesterone is a female synthetic steroid that is used to thicken the mucus in the uterus not allowing the sperm to travel to the egg. In men the effect, combined with testosterone, stops the productions of sperm. Side effects to this method are mood swings, depression, and mild pain at injection site. The hormones in the injections, override the current hormones that are producing sperm, and overload the system decreases then eventually stop the production of sperm. The effective rate is 98 percent, comparable to the Female version of contraceptives (Hudston).The rate of female birth control effectiveness is 99%. It is easier in the human physiology to keep one

Unintended pregnancies occur in the United States because of lack of accessible prevention methods. To end unwanted pregnancies and abortions, a change needs to occur. Currently, an oral birth control is in deliberation by healthcare professionals to potentially switch availability for women to buy over-the-counter (OTC). Because no prescription would be necessary, this would make obtaining oral contraceptives easier. The drug would be progestin-only, a female hormone otherwise called progesterone, which is not available in the United States in an oral drug formulation. This birth control is objectively safer than common oral birth control pills that are typically estrogen-progestin combinations. Plan B, (levonorgestrel), an oral emergency contraceptive, was recently legalized to purchase OTC without any

Estrogen and progesterone are involved because it aids in the stopping of a woman period. It allows the fluid in the virgina to become thick and the uterus lining so the fertilized egg cannot attach.

There are some oral contraceptives that contain the hormones progestogen and estrogen. The combined contraceptives are used to prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg. The oral contraceptive has to be taken once daily. There are also some emergency contraception’s that is taken only once, and is known as the morning after pill. The emergency contraception pill contains a high dose of artificial progestogen which is normally used to prevent ovulation or stop ovulation if it has already started. The morning after pill is used right after someone has had unprotected sex within 48 hours to avoid getting pregnant.

These changes are typically brought on by hormonal fluxes that control the different phases of the cycle in order to ovulate a mature oocyte. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days in length and progresses through four distinct phases, each with its own regulatory hormone. The phases and their associated days are as follows: menstruation, or the early follicular phase (days 1–4), late follicular phase (days 5–11), periovulation (days 12–15) and the luteal phase (days 16–28). 1 The major hormonal secretion sites are the hypothalamus, which secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the pituitary, which secretes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), and the ovaries, which secrete estrogens and progesterone. Of the three types of estrogen involved in the menstrual cycle, estradiol, estrone and estriol, estradiol is considered the most potent and is known as E1.2 In lieu of discussing the many hormonal fluctuations of a typical menstrual cycle, a diagram has been included to display the oscillations of the hormones described

Although, estrogen is produced by other organs in the body, estrogen output is significantly decreased in premenopausal women, and progesterone becomes nearly absent.

It does not kill the baby, as the baby is never formed. Emergency contraception can be used in instances of a broken condom, sexual assault, or really anytime after unprotected sex. This is part of the issues surrounding its use. Many physicians do not think that it should be used in any situation, except that of true emergency. This is part of the reason that emergency contraception is not an over the counter drug. It is approved by the FDA, but all but three states in the US require a woman to see a physician before they can get a prescription for it. About one half of unwanted pregnancies are due to the failure of a contraceptive. Similarly, about one half of unwanted pregnancies end in abortion. (3).

The amount of oestrogen and progesterone produced slows down and the body eventually stops producing them as a woman gets older and goes through menopause. These hormones are important in pregnancy because oestrogen is involved in keeping the reproductive system healthy; and it also makes the lining of the womb grow to prepare it for an embryo implantation. The progesterone hormone supports the pregnancy, prevents periods, thickens the lining of the womb and makes the lining of the womb secrete nutrients which are needed for developing an embryo. If the levels of progesterone and oestrone are reduced, the baby may have a problem with growing in the womb because the lining may not be thick enough.

When I found out that I was pregnant, because of my age I was considered high risk. My doctor prescribed Progesterone during the first trimester of my pregnancy. Progesterone was to help thicken the lining of my uterus so that the embryo could safely attach to it and avoid a miscarriage. I was also prescribed Folic Acid, it was said to be helpful in preventing spinal cord and brain defects. During weeks 4-10 of your pregnancy you may run the risk of your baby developing a birth defect, it is at this time the heart, arms and legs are being developed.

These sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, rise dramatically especially in the first trimester in preparing for the fetus. Estrogen helps with the growing of the uterus, preserves the uterine lining, increases blood circulation, and

These parts have a significant role to play in the female reproductive system. The vagina is an opening that is connected to the uterus and provides a pathway up to the female reproductive system. The uterus is present to surround a developing foetus and supports this foetus for the duration of pregnancy. The ovaries of a woman are extremely important as they produce the female reproductive cells known as ova. The ovaries produce two hormones known as oestrogen and progesterone. Oestrogen forms the lining of

Of particular interest are those chemicals, which mimic the female hormone of estrogen, which is

Drospirenone is considered a fourth generation oral contraceptive (Karakose, Cakal, Ertan, & Delibasi, 2013). Unlike previous generations, it contains an anti-mineralocorticoid effect (Karakose et al., 2013). Drospirenone has a chemical structure that is similar to spironolactone, a potassium sparing diuretic (Karakose et al., 2013). Drospirenone contains a strong anti-gonadotropic activity mechanism (Bhattacharya, Ghosh, & Noundi, 2011). Drospirenone decreases luteinizing hormone, and can potentially be a mechanism in reducing hyperandrogenic manifestations (Bhattacharya et al., 2011). A combined oral contraceptive (COC) that contains drospirenone decreases ovarian androgen production by hindering the secretion of luteinizing hormone (Karakose et al., 2013). The increase of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in the liver decreases serum free testosterone levels (Karakose et al., 2013). Androgen receptors are blocked and as a result, menstruation becomes regulated (Karakose et al., 2013).

Sex steroids such as progesterone control reproductive function as well as influencing body temperature1. Production of progesterone is low prior to ovulation, with granulose cells producing small amounts. Corpus luteum produces large amounts of progesterone during the Luteal phase. Progesterone is known to stimulate strong negative feedback. Due to this reason, it is the main ingredient in contraceptive pills, as it elicits strong negative feedback throughout the menstrual cycle preventing LH surge, thus preventing ovulation. During the luteal phase females experience higher body temperature due to high levels of progesterone, and lower body temperature during low levels of progesterone2. Thus,cyclic variation may demonstrate different pattern in females taking the contraceptive pill.

Reproductive physiology is comprised of many tightly coordinated functions of the endocrine system including the hypothalamus, pituitary and reproductive organs whose dynamic function plays several critical roles in growth and development as well was reproduction. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis plays a critical role in the development and regulation of the reproductive system. These tightly regulated functions within the pituitary must respond to continuously changing signals from the central nervous system gonads and provide the quick responses. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is comprised of major hormones, including gonadotropin-releasing-hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and operate through both positive and negative feedback loops in mammals.1 When toxicants affect any part of this axis’s function, either by altering cellular activity or the signals themselves, the physiology can impacted by immediate and downstream effects. An understanding of the endocrinology of male and female reproduction, is required to understand how toxicological effects can have severe consequences on reproductive physiology.