5α-Reductase inhibitor5α-Reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), also known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blockers, are a class of medications with antiandrogenic effects which are used primarily in the treatment of enlarged prostate and scalp hair loss. They are also sometimes used to treat excess hair growth in women and as a component of hormone therapy for transgender women. These agents inhibit the enzyme 5α-reductase, which is involved in the metabolic transformations of a variety of endogenous steroids.
Contraceptionthumb|Pilules contraceptives La contraception est l'emploi de moyens visant à empêcher qu'un rapport sexuel entraîne une grossesse. Elle est définie par l'Organisation mondiale de la santé comme étant « l'utilisation d’agents, de dispositifs, de méthodes ou de procédures pour diminuer la probabilité de fécondation ou l’éviter ». Il existe plusieurs méthodes de contraception, d'action locale ou générale, à l'efficacité et aux contraintes variables.
Progesterone (medication)Progesterone (P4) is a medication and naturally occurring steroid hormone. It is a progestogen and is used in combination with estrogens mainly in hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and low sex hormone levels in women. It is also used in women to support pregnancy and fertility and to treat gynecological disorders. Progesterone can be taken by mouth, vaginally, and by injection into muscle or fat, among other routes. A progesterone vaginal ring and progesterone intrauterine device used for birth control also exist in some areas of the world.
Estrogen (medication)An estrogen (E) is a type of medication which is used most commonly in hormonal birth control and menopausal hormone therapy, and as part of feminizing hormone therapy for transgender women. They can also be used in the treatment of hormone-sensitive cancers like breast cancer and prostate cancer and for various other indications. Estrogens are used alone or in combination with progestogens. They are available in a wide variety of formulations and for use by many different routes of administration.
Steroidal antiandrogenA steroidal antiandrogen (SAA) is an antiandrogen with a steroidal chemical structure. They are typically antagonists of the androgen receptor (AR) and act both by blocking the effects of androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and by suppressing gonadal androgen production. SAAs lower concentrations of testosterone through simulation of the negative feedback inhibition of the hypothalamus. SAAs are used in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions in men and women, and are also used in veterinary medicine for the same purpose.
AndrogèneAndrogène est le terme générique pour tout composé naturel ou synthétique, généralement une hormone stéroïdienne, qui stimule ou contrôle le développement et le maintien des caractères mâles chez les vertébrés en se liant aux récepteurs androgènes. Cela englobe aussi l’activité des organes sexuels mâles secondaires et le développement des caractères sexuels secondaires. Les androgènes, qui ont été découverts en 1936, sont également appelés « hormones androgènes ». Les androgènes comportent également les stéroïdes anabolisants d’origine.
NoréthistéroneLa noréthistérone est un progestatif de synthèse utilisé dans certaines pilules combinées et certaines pilules progestatives, et pour retarder les menstruations. La noréthistérone n'est pas encore distribuée en France, mais est depuis plusieurs années disponible sur ordonnance dans de nombreux pays européens comme l'Allemagne, l'Italie, la Belgique, ainsi qu'aux États-Unis. L'effet permet de retenir la muqueuse utérine dans l'utérus.
GestodeneGestodene, sold under the brand names Femodene and Minulet among others, is a progestin medication which is used in birth control pills for women. It is also used in menopausal hormone therapy. The medication is available almost exclusively in combination with an estrogen. It is taken by mouth. Side effects of the combination of an estrogen and gestodene include menstrual irregularities, headaches, nausea, breast tenderness, mood changes, and others.
NoretynodrelNoretynodrel, or norethynodrel, sold under the brand name Enovid among others, is a progestin medication which was previously used in birth control pills and in the treatment of gynecological disorders but is now no longer marketed. It was available both alone and in combination with an estrogen. The medication is taken by mouth. Noretynodrel is a progestin, or a synthetic progestogen, and hence is an agonist of the progesterone receptor, the biological target of progestogens like progesterone.
Androgen deficiencyAndrogen deficiency is a medical condition characterized by insufficient androgenic activity in the body. Androgenic activity is mediated by androgens (a class of steroid hormones with varying affinities for the androgen receptor), and is dependent on various factors including androgen receptor abundance, sensitivity and function. Symptoms of the condition in males consist of loss of libido, impotence, infertility, shrinkage of the testicles, penis, and prostate, diminished masculinization (e.g.
