The Centchroman (Saheli) oral contraceptive differs from conventional OCPs because:

• A It contains only progesterone and is taken daily
• B It is an emergency contraceptive pill taken within 72 hours
• C It is a combined OCP with lower estrogen dose taken bi-weekly
• D It is a non-steroidal selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) taken weekly ✓

Explanation

Centchroman (Chhaya/Saheli) is a weekly oral contraceptive developed in India by CDRI, Lucknow. It is a non-steroidal selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), not a hormone, making it unique. It is taken twice weekly for first 3 months, then weekly. It works by altering uterine receptivity and oocyte transport without suppressing ovulation. Its non-steroidal nature gives a good side-effect profile.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.