Sex Hormones & Reproduction
Estrogens, progestogens and contraception, HRT and menopause, androgens and anti-androgens.
The Pill: How Hormones Prevent Pregnancy
Hormonal contraception is one of the most influential drugs ever made, and it works by a beautifully simple piece of feedback trickery: convince the brain that ovulation has already happened, and no egg is released. Understanding that one idea explains how the pill works, why it comes in two main types, and where its one serious risk comes from.
HRT: Replacing the Hormones of Menopause
At menopause the ovaries stop making estrogen, and the sudden drop causes hot flushes, sleep problems, and long-term effects on bone. Hormone replacement therapy simply gives some of that estrogen back — but with one crucial rule involving the womb that turns a subtle piece of biology into a safety essential every clinician must know.
Androgens, Anti-androgens, and Treating Erectile Dysfunction
Testosterone is the male counterpart of the story, and its pharmacology runs both ways: sometimes we replace it, and sometimes we block it — including to slow prostate cancer, which feeds on it. Add the famous erectile-dysfunction drugs, whose mechanism is a small masterpiece of physiology, and you have a compact, high-yield chapter.
