Use of the name "Progestin".

There is considerable confusion concerning the use of the term "progestin" in referring to progestational compounds. Such term is often restricted to progestational agents that are synthetic and excludes progesterone which is a natural compound. In 1930 when progesterone had not yet been isolated the term "progestin" was proposed for the name of this ovarian hormone. During the next 5 years progress was made in the isolation and chemical identification of the substance referred to as "progestin." The term progesterone was then approved for use in describing the pure crystalline progestational hormone during the Health Organization of the League of Nations meeting in 1935. In subsequent years the term "progestogen" became widely used when referring to the general class of progestational agents including progesterone and synthetic compounds. More recently the term "progestin" has become more widely used when referring to synthetic progestational agents but there is no consensus. A consensus should be established to determine the generic name of progestational compounds to avoid confusion and ambiguity in definition.