Why Intravaginal Progesterone Therapy is a Smart Choice and a Smart Investment
Progesterone therapy is a crucial part of women’s reproductive health, particularly in fertility treatments, endometriosis management, and menstrual regulation. I took it when I was trying to get pregnant and I took it when I was trying to stop bleeding through my clothes (thanks fibroids!) and I took it as part of my journey through menopause but that’s a story for another day. Today let’s talk about problems on your way up the hill, not once you are over here with me.
Here’s the kicker—how progesterone is delivered to the body is just as important as how much your body needs it. While oral and injectable progesterone are tried and tested, intravaginal delivery has the most upside.
I will also add that oral progesterone isn’t generally used for IVF indications which meant my choices at that time were vaginal or injected. The available vaginal preparation leaked horribly. So my doctor said, “Hey, you’re a doctor, you’ll be fine. There will be different needles in the bag. Just FYI.”
W T F
There were different needles alright. Huge, long, fat ones. Like maybe we were drilling through ice to go fishing. And they went into my butt. For 5 months, I steeled myself, jammed that telephone pole into my rump and tried not to cry. IT SUCKED.
The intravaginal route not only doesn’t hurt like a wanna-be-mother but it offers targeted treatment that minimizes side effects and improves patient outcomes. I think you see why I’m so passionate about the work Calla Lily Clinical Care is doing to develop Callavid. Why can’t we make intravaginal delivery painless, simple, convenient and hygienic while preventing drug wastage?
The Persuasive Case for Intravaginal Progesterone
Oral delivery of progesterone is problematic because it is metabolized by the liver and loses potency before it enters the bloodstream.
Once in circulation, the hormone can impact areas of the body beyond its intended target and cause unwanted side effects. To that end, oral progesterone is commonly associated with chest pain, chills, breast tenderness, and even cold or flu-like symptoms. On the flipside, it’s commonly used for menopause therapy and some women really enjoy it’s sedating effect and the associated improvement in sleep, so hey. Again, for another day.
Back to infertility, while injectable progesterone bypasses the liver, this option also has its downsides. See above. The downside was my backside. How many women drop out of IVF because of the pain of injections? I guarantee IVF won’t work for you if you can’t manage it but I know many women who just couldn’t and that makes me incredibly sad. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Intravaginal progesterone takes a more direct route. The hormone enters local blood vessels via the highly absorbent vaginal mucosa and then concentrates in the uterus and nearby tissue where it’s needed.
Some progesterone may diffuse into systemic circulation and reach non-target areas of the body. However, the amount of hormone that does so is considerably lower compared to oral administration.
The Impact of Intravaginal Progesterone on Women’s Reproductive Health
Progesterone therapy plays a central role in women’s reproductive health—particularly in the contexts of fertility and pregnancy support, menstrual disorders, and endometriosis.
Fertility and pregnancy support
For IVF patients, progesterone improves fertility outcomes and has set the standard for artificial reproductive technology (ART).
Supplementation with intravaginal progesterone increases progesterone levels in the lining of the uterus. This, in turn, improves the chances of successful embryo implantation and maintenance of pregnancy.
Compared to the intramuscular (injection-based) route, intravaginal delivery is associated with less pain, fewer adverse effects, and increased patient compliance. In a separate study, intravaginal progesterone also provided better outcomes for women undergoing IVF who also suffered from endometriosis.
Menstrual disorders
Progesterone (and its synthetic equivalent progestin) decrease heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in women of reproductive age and may reduce instances of endometrial cancer in menopausal women.
Intravaginal progesterone has also shown promise as a treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). This condition is characterized by an abnormal frequency, duration or amount of bleeding in the menstrual cycle and is experienced by about 20% of women.
In a study of 34 women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), 88% reported a regular menstrual cycle after taking vaginal progesterone. The study also emphasized the vaginal route’s ease of administration, efficacy, easy toleration, and lack of side effects.
Endometriosis
For women with endometriosis, hormonal therapies are the most effective form of treatment. They are part of a patient-focused approach that aims to avoid surgery while also considering the women’s stress levels, quality of life and existing comorbidities.
Progesterone in gel form is both highly effective and free of systemic side effects. Progestins—a synthetic form of progesterone—are also beneficial for women who require repeated courses of treatment to manage pain and other symptoms of endometriosis.
How Callavid Improves On Intravaginal Delivery
While intravaginal administration is proven from a medical standpoint, some of the specific methods of therapeutic delivery leave a lot to be desired.
Complaints about vaginal progesterone suppositories tend to revolve around inconvenience. Gels and creams are messy and can also leak, which reduces dosage confidence, while tablets and pessaries can be uncomfortable and difficult to insert correctly.
Each of these factors have the potential to reduce patient adherence and reduce efficacy.
Callavid offers a more convenient and dosage-confident delivery experience for hormones and other medicines. The absorbent, leak-free mini-liner and flexible, biocompatible polymer can be customized for each medication and designed to hold the therapeutic in place while drug is delivered and leakage absorbed, which means no waste and no mess. I was trying to explain it to my sister and she finally said, “Oh I get it! You guys are the juice box. A juice company asks you to put their juice in your box and then that box goes in my vagina.” Well, yes. In as many words.
In the process, the patented product offers a solution that addresses the main frustrations women voice with intravaginal treatments.
The overall experience is more comfortable, more efficient, and most importantly, more effective.
The Future of Intravaginal Progesterone Delivery
Intravaginal delivery is not just another option for progesterone therapy—it’s the most effective one for many women.
By targeting the uterus directly, the intravaginal route minimizes side effects and improves patient outcomes across endometriosis management, fertility support, and menstrual disorders.
However, the choice of delivery method also matters—leakage, discomfort and inconsistent dosing can reduce patient compliance and undermine intravaginal progesterone’s efficacy.
Callavid is an innovative solution to these problems that further enhances the intravaginal route and supports a more patient-centered approach to women’s healthcare.
References
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/progesterone-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20075298?p=1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6046522/
https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(08)02714-3/fulltext
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S152169342030081X
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301211503001568
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15346659/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11154-021-09666-w
