title: Pipeline for contraceptive development.
abstract: The high rates of unplanned pregnancy reflect an unmet need for effective contraceptive methods for women, especially for individuals with health risks such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other conditions that may contraindicate use of an estrogen-containing product. Improvements in safety, user convenience, acceptability, and availability of products remain important goals of the contraceptive development program. Another important goal is to minimize the impact of the products on the environment. Development of new methods for male contraception has the potential to address many of these issues of safety for women who have contraindications to effective contraceptive methods but want to protect against pregnancy. It would also address a huge unmet need for men who want to control their fertility. Products under development for men would not introduce ecotoxic hormones into the water system.
authors: Contraception Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Electronic address: blithed@nih.gov.
authors: Diana L
authors: DL
authors: Blithe
mesh_terms: D003267:Contraception / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000639:trends*; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000639:trends*; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D005544:Forecasting; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male
keywords: Contraception; female contraception; green contraception; male contraception; nonhormonal contraceptive development