Monthly Birth Control Pill in the Works.

Oral contraceptives are one of the most-popular forms of birth control. In the U.S., about 12% of females between ages 15 and 49 use them. However, their effectiveness depends on being taken every day, and it is estimated that about nine percent of women taking birth control pills become pregnant each year.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers are developing an oral contraceptive that only has to be taken once a month, which could reduce unintended pregnancies that result from failing to take a daily dose. This kind of monthly contraceptive could have a significant impact on the health of women and their families, especially in the developing world, the researchers relate.

"We are hopeful that this work--the first example ever of a month-long pill or capsule to our knowledge--will someday lead to potentially new modalities and options for women's health as well as other indications," says Robert Langer, one of 12 Institute professors at MIT.

The contraceptive is contained within a gelatin-coated capsule, which remains in the stomach after being swallowed and gradually releases the drug. Tests in pigs snowed that this...