A survey by OpinionWay for Bayer across nine countries, including France, reveals that 40% of pill users forget at least one dose. Additionally, 20% of 4,500 women aged 21-29 report lapses in weekly adherence. These oversights contribute to unintended pregnancies and abortions. To address this, MIT researchers are developing a monthly contraceptive pill that releases fertility-blocking hormones and withstands stomach acid.
Tested successfully on sows, this star-shaped pill—about the size of a fish oil capsule—unfolds in the stomach like a six-pointed flower. It gradually releases levonorgestrel, a synthetic progestogen that prevents ovulation, over a full month.
Initial sow trials confirm that daily hormone release matches standard daily pills over four weeks. However, human trials are projected 3-5 years away, according to the researchers.
Optimism abounds: “This monthly pill could transform women's health and family planning, particularly in developing countries,” state the MIT team, whose work is funded by the Bill Gates Foundation.
“A monthly oral contraceptive offers a discreet, non-invasive option,” notes Kimberly Scarsi, pharmacology professor at the University of Nebraska. It could “boost adherence dramatically, giving women more control over their health and reproductive choices.”
