Brainlag PlusWeighing up hormonal and non-hormonal contraception, choosing a method for a person's needs, how the hormones work, and (Higher) fertility drugs, clomifene, IVF costs and multiple births.
How hormonal methods work
Hormonal methods copy what the body's own hormones do.
- Oestrogen, taken every day in the combined pill or a skin patch, keeps the level high. A steady high level of oestrogen inhibits the release of FSH, so no eggs mature.
- Progesterone, in implants, injections, the progesterone-only pill and some IUDs, stops eggs maturing and being released and makes the mucus at the cervix thick and sticky, so sperm cannot get through.
The first pills had high doses of oestrogen and many side effects. Modern pills use lower doses that still stop eggs maturing.
The rest of this lesson and its 12 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 4, free to read.
- 12 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards