Patent ID: 7732430

Claim:
A contraceptive method, comprising administering orally an estrogenic component and a progestogenic component to a mammalian female of childbearing capability in an effective amount to inhibit ovulation, said estrogenic component being selected from the group consisting of substances represented by the following formula: in which formula R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 independently are a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or an alkoxy group with 1-5 carbon atoms; each of R 5 , R 6 , R 7 is a hydroxyl group; and no more than 3 of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 are hydrogen atoms; precursors capable of liberating a substance according to the aforementioned formula when used in the present method, which precursors are derivatives of the aforementioned estrogenic substances wherein the hydrogen atom of at least one of the hydroxyl groups has been substituted by an acyl radical of a hydrocarbon carboxylic, sulfonic or sulfamic acid of 1-25 carbon atoms; tetrahydrofuranyl; tetrahydropyranal; or a straight or branched chain glycosidic residue containing 1-20 glycosidic units per residue; and mixtures of one or more of the aforementioned substances or precursors, wherein the method does not employ co-administration of an LHRH composition.