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This category covers contraception, hormone-related treatments and fertility medicines. It spans everyday contraception through to treatments for menopause, endometriosis and hormone-sensitive cancers. The three purposes grouped here follow separate clinical paths, so what is right for contraception says nothing about what is right for menopause.

Plan B

Levonorgestrel

1.5mg

Levonorgestrel 1.5mg tablets for emergency contraception, a single progestogen dose that delays or holds back ovulation.

From$9.70/ tabletView

Yasmin

Drospirenone, Ethinylestradiol

3/0.03mg

Drospirenone with ethinylestradiol as a film-coated tablet, a combined oral contraceptive also listed for acne vulgaris. Gonadotropins are suppressed.

From$1.33/ tabletView

Diane 35

Cyproterone, Ethinylestradiol

2/0.035mg

Cyproterone with ethinylestradiol as a film-coated tablet, used in the management of acne and hirsutism. An anti-androgen paired with an oestrogen.

From$1.03/ tabletView

Clomid

Clomifene

25 · 50 · 100mg

Clomifene 25mg, 50mg and 100mg tablets, used in the management of anovulatory infertility. A SERM acting at oestrogen receptors in the hypothalamus.

From$0.53/ tabletView

Provera

Medroxyprogesterone

5 · 10mg

Medroxyprogesterone 5mg and 10mg tablets for endometriosis and abnormal uterine bleeding. A progestogen that turns the endometrium secretory.

From$0.63/ tabletView

Estrace

Estradiol

1 · 2mg

Estrace is estradiol 1mg and 2mg tablets, used in the management of menopausal symptoms and low oestrogen states. An oestrogen taken by mouth.

From$0.94/ tabletView

Femara

Letrozole

2.5mg

Letrozole at a single 2.5mg film-coated strength, listed for breast cancer. Blocking aromatase stops androgens being converted into oestrogen.

From$0.51/ tabletView

Aygestin

Norethindrone

5mg

Norethindrone 5mg tablets, used in the management of endometriosis and abnormal uterine bleeding. A synthetic progestogen that mimics progesterone.

From$0.86/ tabletView

Dostinex

Cabergoline

0.25 · 0.5mg

Cabergoline 0.25mg and 0.5mg tablets, used in the management of hyperprolactinaemia and prolactinoma. An ergot-derived dopamine agonist.

From$6.37/ tabletView

Ovral

Ethinylestradiol, Norgestrel

0.15/0.03 · 0.5/0.05mg

Ethinylestradiol with norgestrel tablets, a combined oral contraceptive in two strengths. Ovulation is inhibited and the cervical mucus altered.

From$0.34/ tabletView

Arimidex

Anastrozole

1mg

Anastrozole 1mg film-coated tablets, used in the management of breast cancer. A non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor that lowers circulating oestrogen.

From$2.34/ tabletView

Alesse

Levonorgestrel, Ethinylestradiol

0.15/0.03 · 0.25/0.05mg

Levonorgestrel with ethinylestradiol tablets, a combined oral contraceptive taken by mouth. The hormone pair suppresses ovulation and thickens cervical mucus.

From$0.83/ tabletView

Levlen

Ethinylestradiol, Levonorgestrel

0.03/0.15mg

Ethinylestradiol with levonorgestrel tablets, a combined oral contraceptive. Negative feedback on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis holds ovulation back.

From$0.53/ tabletView

Duphaston

Dydrogesterone

10mg

Dydrogesterone 10mg tablets, used in the management of endometriosis, dysmenorrhoea, infertility and secondary amenorrhoea. An orally active progestogen.

From$2.13/ tabletView

Lovegra

Sildenafil

100mg

Lovegra is sildenafil 100mg in a plain tablet for erectile dysfunction, a PDE5 inhibitor that potentiates the vasodilator action of nitric oxide.

From$2.25/ tabletView

Cycrin

Medroxyprogesterone

5 · 10mg

Medroxyprogesterone 5mg and 10mg tablets, used in the management of secondary amenorrhoea, endometriosis and dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

From$0.60/ tabletView

Prometrium

Progesterone

100 · 200mg

Progesterone 100mg and 200mg soft capsules, used as part of hormone replacement therapy. The natural hormone rather than a synthetic progestogen.

From$2.23/ tabletView

Femilon

Ethinylestradiol, Desogestrel

0.15/0.02mg

Femilon is ethinylestradiol with desogestrel in a low-dose combined tablet for contraception, holding back the release of an egg from the ovary.

From$1.21/ tabletView

Raloxifene Tablets

Raloxifene

60mg

Raloxifene 60mg film-coated tablets, used in the management of osteoporosis. A SERM that acts like oestrogen on bone but not on breast tissue.

From$1.02/ tabletView

Vaniqa

Eflornithine

13.9%

Eflornithine 13.9% cream, applied to the skin for hirsutism. It blocks ornithine decarboxylase in the follicle, which hair cells need to grow.

From$49.30/ tubeView

Novelon

Desogestrel, Ethinylestradiol

0.15/0.3mg

Novelon is desogestrel with ethinylestradiol in a fixed-dose combined tablet for contraception, suppressing the release of gonadotropins.

From$0.92/ tabletView

Estriol Topical

Estriol

15g

Estriol cream in a 15g tube, applied vaginally for atrophic vaginitis. It replaces the oestrogen the tissue lacks, restoring its elasticity.

From$32.81/ tubeView

Diclegis

Doxylamine, Pyridoxine

10/10mg

Doxylamine with pyridoxine in a modified-release tablet, used for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. A first-generation antihistamine with vitamin B6.

From$1.56/ tabletView

Tibofem

Estradiol

2.5mg

Tibofem is an oestrogen tablet at 2.5mg for menopausal symptoms, supplementing the hormone that falls away as the ovaries wind down.

From$3.12/ tabletView

Lomexin

Fenticonazole

600mg

Fenticonazole 600mg suppositories for vaginal candidiasis, an imidazole antifungal placed vaginally rather than taken by mouth.

From$13.64/ suppositoryView

Mircette

Desogestrel, Ethinylestradiol

0.15/0.02mg

Desogestrel with ethinylestradiol tablets for contraception, a combined pill acting through ovulation inhibition and a thicker cervical barrier.

From$1.14/ tabletView

Desogen

Desogestrel, Ethinylestradiol

0.15/30mg/mcg

Desogestrel with ethinylestradiol film-coated tablets, a combined oral contraceptive. The pair suppresses ovulation and alters the cervical mucus.

From$0.93/ tabletView

Serophene

Clomifene

25 · 50 · 100mg

Clomifene at 25mg, 50mg and 100mg, listed for anovulation and female infertility. The SERM raises gonadotropin output by blocking oestrogen feedback.

From$0.39/ tabletView

Danocrine

Danazol

50 · 100 · 200mg

Danazol 50mg, 100mg and 200mg hard capsules, used in the management of endometriosis and hereditary angioedema. A synthetic androgen.

From$1.19/ tabletView

Cyklokapron

Tranexamic Acid

500mg

Tranexamic acid 500mg tablets, used in the management of menorrhagia and haemorrhage. An antifibrinolytic that stops clots being broken down early.

From$2.85/ tabletView

Premarin

Conjugated Oestrogens

0.625mg

Conjugated oestrogens 0.625mg film-coated tablets, used in the management of menopausal symptoms and oestrogen deficiency. A mixture, not a single hormone.

From$2.99/ tabletView

Armotraz

Anastrozole

1mg

Anastrozole 1mg film-coated tablets for breast cancer, including adjuvant therapy. A selective aromatase inhibitor that halts androgen conversion to oestrogen.

From$3.11/ tabletView

Key points

  • This group spans contraception, menopausal symptom treatment and fertility medicines, which are unrelated purposes.
  • Combined and progestogen-only contraception suit different people, and the difference is medical rather than preferential.
  • Menopausal hormone treatment is a balance of benefit and risk that is reviewed over time.

Classes and ingredients in this category

Conditions it covers

These medicines are used for contraception, menopausal symptoms, endometriosis and fertility support. Because the purposes differ so much, each needs its own assessment rather than a category-level decision.

Further reading

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