How Hormonal Methods Work

Contraceptive methods use estrogen and/or progesterone to prevent pregnancy.

Estrogen works by:

• Preventing release of eggs from the ovaries.
• Inhibiting implantation of the egg in the lining of the uterus.
• Decreasing the time it takes for the egg to travel through the fallopian tubes, thus decreasing the time available for fertilization.

Progesterone (Progestin) works by:

• Increasing the amount of mucus at the cervix, which decreases the ability of the sperm to pass through.
• Increasing the time it takes for the egg to travel through the fallopian tubes, interfering with the precise timing needed for fertilization.
• Inhibiting implantation of the egg in the lining of the uterus.
• Decreasing the ability of the sperm to penetrate the wall of the egg and to fertilize it.
• Preventing release of eggs from the ovaries.