Risks of venous thromboembolism when using hormonal contraceptives containing estetrol and drospirenone

One of the most effective methods of preventing unintended pregnancy is hormonal contraception. However, its main contra-indications are deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities and venous thromboembolism. It has been established that women who do not take combined oral contraceptives (COCs) have an annual risk of venous thrombosis of 2 cases per 10,000 women, and this figure rises to 7–11 cases per 10,000 women when using COCs. The estrogen component in COCs can cause several adverse events associated with thrombotic complications. Therefore, the search for an estrogen with a more favorable safety profile has been conducted for a long time. This turned out to be estetrol, discovered in 1965 and having a few positive pharmacokinetic features due to its biochemical structure. It is suggested that estetrol may become the first ever risk-reducing estrogen in the context of venous thromboembolism. © 2022, Dynasty Publishing House. All rights reserved.