Ethinylestradiol/norethisterone acetate

Ethinylestradiol/norethisterone acetate
Combination of
Ethinylestradiol	Estrogen
Norethisterone acetate	Progestogen
Clinical data
Trade names	Femlyv, Estrostep, Loestrin, Microgestin, others
Other names	EE/NETA
AHFS/Drugs.com	Professional Drug Facts
License data	US DailyMed: Norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol;
Routes of; administration	By mouth
ATC code	G03AB04 (WHO) ;
Legal status
Legal status	CA: ℞-only; US: ℞-only;
Identifiers
CAS Number	8015-12-1;
PubChem CID	63020;
KEGG	D04483;
Chemical and physical data
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES CC(=O)OC1(CCC2C1(CCC3C2CCC4=CC(=O)CCC34)C)C#C.CC12CCC3C(C1CCC2(C#C)O)CCC4=C3C=CC(=C4)O;
	InChI InChI=1S/C22H28O3.C20H24O2/c1-4-22(25-14(2)23)12-10-20-19-7-5-15-13-16(24)6-8-17(15)18(19)9-11-21(20,22)3;1-3-20(22)11-9-18-17-6-4-13-12-14(21)5-7-15(13)16(17)8-10-19(18,20)2/h1,13,17-20H,5-12H2,2-3H3;1,5,7,12,16-18,21-22H,4,6,8-11H2,2H3/t17-,18+,19+,20-,21-,22-;16-,17-,18+,19+,20+/m01/s1; Key:GEONECATAKDDLT-JDSZYESASA-N;

Ethinylestradiol/norethisterone acetate (EE/NETA), or ethinylestradiol/norethindrone acetate, is a combination of ethinylestradiol (EE) and norethisterone acetate (NETA) which is used as birth control and menopausal hormone therapy. EE is an estrogen, while norethisterone acetate (NETA) is a progestin. It is taken by mouth. Some preparations of EE/NETA used in birth control additionally contain an iron supplement in the form of ferrous fumarate.

Norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol have been approved in the US for the prevention of pregnancy as a swallowable tablet since 1968. In 2022, the combination of ethinylestradiol with norethisterone or with norethisterone acetate was the 80th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 8 million prescriptions. It is available as a generic medication.