| Estradiol-containing oral contraceptive |
| Type |
Hormonal |
| First use |
1993 (Finland) |
| Perfect use |
? |
| Typical use |
? |
| Reversibility |
Yes |
| User reminders |
? |
|
STI protection |
No |
Combined birth control pills that contain natural estradiol or an estradiol ester (e.g., estradiol valerate) include:
Estradiol, mainly as esters including estradiol valerate, estradiol cypionate, and estradiol enanthate, is also the exclusive estrogen used in combined injectable contraceptives.
As of 2021, more than 95% of prescriptions are for combined hormonal birth control forms containing the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol (EE). Hence, estradiol-based birth control pills are still not widely used.
Side effects
Birth control pills containing estradiol have less impact on liver protein synthesis than ethinylestradiol-containing birth control pills, and it is thought that for this reason, they may pose less of a risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). In accordance, although birth control pills containing estradiol valerate/dienogest are associated with a significantly increased risk of VTE, they are associated with a significantly lower risk of venous thromboembolism than birth control pills containing ethinylestradiol and a progestin. The risk of VTE with estradiol/nomegestrol acetate birth control pills is under study.
Incidence of irregular vaginal bleeding may be higher with estradiol-containing birth control pills in relation to the fact that estradiol is a weaker estrogen than ethinylestradiol in the endometrium.
Pharmacology
The pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of estradiol in the context of use in birth control pills have been studied and reviewed.
Research
Experimental estradiol-containing birth control pills that were studied but never marketed include:
A large randomized controlled trial of a birth control pill containing ethinylestradiol/norethisterone acetate versus a birth control pill containing estradiol/estriol/norethisterone acetate has been conducted.
See also
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| Estrogens |
|
ER agonists |
-
Steroidal: Alfatradiol
- Certain androgens/anabolic steroids (e.g., testosterone, testosterone esters, methyltestosterone, metandienone, nandrolone esters) (via estrogenic metabolites)
- Certain progestins (e.g., norethisterone, noretynodrel, etynodiol diacetate, tibolone)
- Clomestrone
- Cloxestradiol acetate
- Conjugated estriol
- Conjugated estrogens
- Epiestriol
- Epimestrol
- Esterified estrogens
-
Estetrol†
- Estradiol
-
Estradiol esters (e.g., estradiol acetate, estradiol benzoate, estradiol cypionate, estradiol enanthate, estradiol undecylate, estradiol valerate, polyestradiol phosphate, estradiol ester mixtures (Climacteron))
- Estramustine phosphate
- Estriol
-
Estriol esters (e.g., estriol succinate, polyestriol phosphate)
- Estrogenic substances
- Estrone
-
Estrone esters
-
Ethinylestradiol#
- Hydroxyestrone diacetate
- Mestranol
- Methylestradiol
- Moxestrol
- Nilestriol
-
Prasterone (dehydroepiandrosterone; DHEA)
- Promestriene
- Quinestradol
- Quinestrol
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| Progonadotropins |
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| Antiestrogens |
ER antagonists (incl. SERMs/SERDs) |
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| Aromatase inhibitors |
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| Antigonadotropins |
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Androgens/anabolic steroids (e.g., testosterone, testosterone esters, nandrolone esters, oxandrolone, fluoxymesterone)
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D2 receptor antagonists (prolactin releasers) (e.g., domperidone, metoclopramide, risperidone, haloperidol, chlorpromazine, sulpiride)
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GnRH agonists (e.g., leuprorelin, goserelin)
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GnRH antagonists (e.g., cetrorelix, elagolix)
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Progestogens (e.g., chlormadinone acetate, cyproterone acetate, gestonorone caproate, hydroxyprogesterone caproate, medroxyprogesterone acetate, megestrol acetate)
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| Others |
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| ER |
| Agonists |
-
Steroidal: 2-Hydroxyestradiol
- 2-Hydroxyestrone
- 3-Methyl-19-methyleneandrosta-3,5-dien-17β-ol
- 3α-Androstanediol
- 3α,5α-Dihydrolevonorgestrel
- 3β,5α-Dihydrolevonorgestrel
- 3α-Hydroxytibolone
- 3β-Hydroxytibolone
- 3β-Androstanediol
- 4-Androstenediol
- 4-Androstenedione
- 4-Fluoroestradiol
- 4-Hydroxyestradiol
- 4-Hydroxyestrone
- 4-Methoxyestradiol
- 4-Methoxyestrone
- 5-Androstenediol
- 7-Oxo-DHEA
- 7α-Hydroxy-DHEA
- 7α-Methylestradiol
- 7β-Hydroxyepiandrosterone
- 8,9-Dehydroestradiol
- 8,9-Dehydroestrone
- 8β-VE2
- 10β,17β-Dihydroxyestra-1,4-dien-3-one (DHED)
- 11β-Chloromethylestradiol
- 11β-Methoxyestradiol
- 15α-Hydroxyestradiol
- 16-Ketoestradiol
- 16-Ketoestrone
- 16α-Fluoroestradiol
- 16α-Hydroxy-DHEA
- 16α-Hydroxyestrone
- 16α-Iodoestradiol
- 16α-LE2
- 16β-Hydroxyestrone
- 16β,17α-Epiestriol (16β-hydroxy-17α-estradiol)
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17α-Estradiol (alfatradiol)
- 17α-Dihydroequilenin
- 17α-Dihydroequilin
- 17α-Epiestriol (16α-hydroxy-17α-estradiol)
- 17α-Ethynyl-3α-androstanediol
- 17α-Ethynyl-3β-androstanediol
- 17β-Dihydroequilenin
- 17β-Dihydroequilin
- 17β-Methyl-17α-dihydroequilenin
- Abiraterone
- Abiraterone acetate
- Alestramustine
- Almestrone
-
Anabolic steroids (e.g., testosterone and esters, methyltestosterone, metandienone (methandrostenolone), nandrolone and esters, many others; via estrogenic metabolites)
- Atrimustine
- Bolandiol
- Bolandiol dipropionate
- Butolame
- Clomestrone
-
Cloxestradiol
- Conjugated estriol
- Conjugated estrogens
- Cyclodiol
- Cyclotriol
- DHEA
- DHEA-S
- ent-Estradiol
- Epiestriol (16β-epiestriol, 16β-hydroxy-17β-estradiol)
- Epimestrol
- Equilenin
- Equilin
- ERA-63 (ORG-37663)
- Esterified estrogens
- Estetrol
-
Estradiol
- Estramustine
- Estramustine phosphate
- Estrapronicate
- Estrazinol
-
Estriol
- Estrofurate
- Estrogenic substances
- Estromustine
-
Estrone
- Etamestrol (eptamestrol)
-
Ethinylandrostenediol
-
Ethinylestradiol
- Ethinylestriol
- Ethylestradiol
- Etynodiol
- Etynodiol diacetate
- Hexolame
- Hippulin
- Hydroxyestrone diacetate
- Lynestrenol
- Lynestrenol phenylpropionate
- Mestranol
- Methylestradiol
- Moxestrol
- Mytatrienediol
- Nilestriol
- Norethisterone
- Noretynodrel
- Orestrate
- Pentolame
- Prodiame
- Prolame
- Promestriene
- RU-16117
- Quinestradol
- Quinestrol
- Tibolone
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Xenoestrogens: Anise-related (e.g., anethole, anol, dianethole, dianol, photoanethole)
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Chalconoids (e.g., isoliquiritigenin, phloretin, phlorizin (phloridzin), wedelolactone)
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Coumestans (e.g., coumestrol, psoralidin)
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Flavonoids (incl. 7,8-DHF, 8-prenylnaringenin, apigenin, baicalein, baicalin, biochanin A, calycosin, catechin, daidzein, daidzin, ECG, EGCG, epicatechin, equol, formononetin, glabrene, glabridin, genistein, genistin, glycitein, kaempferol, liquiritigenin, mirificin, myricetin, naringenin, penduletin, pinocembrin, prunetin, puerarin, quercetin, tectoridin, tectorigenin)
- Lavender oil
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Lignans (e.g., enterodiol, enterolactone, nyasol (cis-hinokiresinol))
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Metalloestrogens (e.g., cadmium)
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Pesticides (e.g., alternariol, dieldrin, endosulfan, fenarimol, HPTE, methiocarb, methoxychlor, triclocarban, triclosan)
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Phytosteroids (e.g., digitoxin (digitalis), diosgenin, guggulsterone)
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Phytosterols (e.g., β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol)
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Resorcylic acid lactones (e.g., zearalanone, α-zearalenol, β-zearalenol, zearalenone, zeranol (α-zearalanol), taleranol (teranol, β-zearalanol))
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Steroid-like (e.g., deoxymiroestrol, miroestrol)
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Stilbenoids (e.g., resveratrol, rhaponticin)
-
Synthetic xenoestrogens (e.g., alkylphenols, bisphenols (e.g., BPA, BPF, BPS), DDT, parabens, PBBs, PHBA, phthalates, PCBs)
- Others (e.g., agnuside, rotundifuran)
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Mixed (SERMs) |
|
| Antagonists |
-
Coregulator-binding modulators: ERX-11
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| GPER |
| Agonists |
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| Antagonists |
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| Unknown |
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| PR |
| Agonists |
-
Testosterone derivatives: Progestins: 6,6-Difluoronorethisterone
- 6,6-Difluoronorethisterone acetate
- 17α-Allyl-19-nortestosterone
- Allylestrenol
- Altrenogest
- Chloroethynylnorgestrel
- Cingestol
- Danazol
- Desogestrel
- Dienogest
-
Ethinylandrostenediol
- Ethisterone
- Ethynerone
- Etonogestrel
- Etynodiol
- Etynodiol diacetate
- Gestodene
- Gestrinone
- Levonorgestrel
-
Levonorgestrel esters (e.g., levonorgestrel butanoate)
- Lynestrenol
- Lynestrenol phenylpropionate
- Metynodiol
- Metynodiol diacetate
- Norelgestromin
- Norethisterone (norethindrone)
-
Norethisterone esters (e.g., norethisterone acetate, norethisterone enanthate)
- Noretynodrel
- Norgesterone
- Norgestimate
- Norgestrel
- Norgestrienone
- Norvinisterone
- Oxendolone
- Quingestanol
- Quingestanol acetate
- Tibolone
- Tigestol
-
Tosagestin; Anabolic–androgenic steroids: 11β-Methyl-19-nortestosterone
- 11β-Methyl-19-nortestosterone dodecylcarbonate
- 19-Nor-5-androstenediol
- 19-Nor-5-androstenedione
- 19-Nordehydroepiandrosterone
- Bolandiol
- Bolandiol dipropionate
- Bolandione
- Dimethisterone
- Dienedione
- Dienolone
- Dimethandrolone
- Dimethandrolone buciclate
- Dimethandrolone dodecylcarbonate
- Dimethandrolone undecanoate
- Dimethyldienolone
- Dimethyltrienolone
- Ethyldienolone
- Ethylestrenol (ethylnandrol)
- Methyldienolone
- Metribolone (R-1881)
- Methoxydienone (methoxygonadiene)
- Mibolerone
- Nandrolone
-
Nandrolone esters (e.g., nandrolone decanoate, nandrolone phenylpropionate)
- Norethandrolone
- Normethandrone (methylestrenolone, normethandrolone, normethisterone)
- RU-2309
- Tetrahydrogestrinone
- Trenbolone (trienolone)
-
Trenbolone esters (e.g., trenbolone acetate, trenbolone enanthate)
- Trendione
- Trestolone
- Trestolone acetate
|
Mixed (SPRMs) |
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| Antagonists |
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mPR (PAQR) |
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