Sex Steroid Hormones in the Treatment of Menstrual Cycle Disorders

The primary use of sex steroid hormones is due to their contraceptive effect. However, they may be exploited for therapeutic purposes in different clinical conditions with satisfying extra-contraceptive benefits. Therapeutic effects can be achieved by ovulation inhibition, antiestrogenic, antiandrogenic, and progestin effects reducing not only side effects but also the impact on liver metabolism and thromboembolic risk. Hormonal therapy with estrogen-progestin represents one of the most essential and versatile treatments with immediate benefits on women’s problems such as seborrhea, dysmenorrhea, acne, and hirsutism. Long-term benefits are also relevant, particularly of protection from several malignancies, foremost among them ovarian cancer. Several scientific studies have long confirmed that benefits from oral contraceptives are greater than risks and how contraception could be an important medication for many functional or organic disturbances. Counseling is necessary to help women make well-informed decisions and improve compliance.