Question

Saheli, a new oral contraceptive for females developed by Indian scientists is a
A. Steroidal preparation
B. Hormonal preparation
C. Non-steroidal preparation
D. Toxic preparation to kill sperms

Answer 1

Hint: Certain contraceptives possess some limitations along with the benefits. The side effects include abnormal bleeding, decrease in sex drive, nausea and vomitting. This happens due to the type of formulation of the pill that changes the normal hormonal condition of the body.

Complete Answer:
Contraceptive pills are a synthetic formulation of estrogen and progesterone which alters the menstrual cycle in a female and eliminates ovulation preventing pregnancy.they are usually taken for 21 days starting from the 5th day of menstrual cycle and after taking a gap for 7 days, it has to be continued again. Contraceptive pills are of different types based on their formulation and their effect.

Let us analyse the options to find out the correct option.
Option A: Steroidal preparation of contraceptive methods uses steroids to prevent pregnancy in women. They have a lot of side effects and thus their use should be limited. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.

Option B: Hormonal pills are those contraceptive pills that prevent ovulation and implantation by inhibiting the secretions of FSH and LH from the pituitary glands. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.

Option C: Non-steroidal pills are those that do not have any side effects. Saheli is an example of this. It contains only progesterone which is taken in a week after an initial intake of twice a week dose for three months. It contains a non- steroidal preparation called centchroman. Therefore, this is the correct option.

Option D: Saheli is a preparation of progesterone which is not harmful for sperms and does not kill sperms. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.

Thus, the correct option is C) Non-steroidal preparation.

Note: It is a “once a week” pill that has very few side effects. It is popular for its high contraceptive value and is developed by Central Drug research institute in Lucknow.