New Technologies: Non-Hormonal Female Contraception

Since the introduction of hormonal contraception in the 1960s, their popularity has grown exponentially and benefits a large population of reproductive aged women. Currently available options are lacking for women with comorbidities such as hypertension, migraines, lupus, liver pathology, thrombophilias, obesity, etc. Recent studies reveal promising evidence of several non-hormonal contraceptive methods that will be of tremendous benefit to women with these comorbidities. Non-hormonal contraceptive methods under investigation include Phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3/5/9 inhibitors, matrix metalloprotease (MMP) inhibitors, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, prostaglandin E2 receptor antagonists, C31G spermicide, SGK/AKT, polidocanol foam, quinacrine pellets, proprotein convertase 6 inhibitors, interleukin 11 (IL-11), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and Juno-Izumo binding vesicles. These methods would provide new options for female contraception particularly for those women who can’t use hormonal contraception.