A pioneer of hormonal contraception: Joseph W. Goldzieher.

Abstract

On 19 July, 2024, at the age of almost 105 years, Joseph W. Goldzieher, the last survivor of the group of pioneers who created oral contraception, peacefully passed away. Here we briefly reconstruct the salient points in his long, productive life, and highlight his achievements in the development of hormonal contraception. His work is indissolubly enshrined in the complex history of hormonal contraception, from the first, fundamental observations, to the first clinical trials, both in the form of combined oestrogen-progestin oral pills and long-acting injectable contraceptives. After Pincus and his Group created an oral contraceptive containing an oestrogen and a progestin, Goldzieher was the second international scientist to conduct clinical trials of the new modality. He teamed-up with investigators in Mexico creating a fruitful, long-lasting collaboration. They produced evidence that ovulation inhibition could be achieved with all the progestins used at the time. Of importance, he was among the first to explore the possibility of using oestrogens to block ovulation, and developed the concept of sequential contraception. For all this lifetime of work, we believe he deserves to be named a 'giant in reproductive endocrinology'.