Daily Mail agrees to publish letter from Progesterone Link.

23 May 2001

'THE public may have been misled into believing that the morning after pill Leveonelle-2 contains the hormone progesterone which is produced naturally by the human body. The hormone contained in Leveonelle-2 is a synthetic version, the correct name of which is levonorgesteral.

These hormones have very different actions in the body: natural progesterone is produced in large amounts when a woman is pregnant and sustains pregnancy, the synthetic hormone levonorgesteral alters the womb lining so that pregnancy cannot continue.

Natural and synthetic hormones are often confused and this is not solely the fault of the media as drug companies seem to perpetuate this common mistake by giving incorrect details to journalists.

Many people, including health professionals, now realise the major role natural progesterone plays in our well-being and are gaining more knowledge of its protective benefits against breast cancer, PMS, menopausal symptoms, post-natal depression and many other female health problems.

To avoid confusion that may lead to the belief that side effects associated with synthetic progestogens apply to progesterone, it is most important to use the correct terminology at all times and to make the distinction between the two hormones absolutely clear.

G EVANS
Yeovil, Somerset.