1. A synthetic estrogen used in oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy.
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical term; often used in combination with progestin in birth control pills

Examples

• Mestranol was one of the first estrogens used in oral contraceptive formulations.
• The pill contained mestranol combined with norethynodrel as a progestin.
• Doctors may prescribe medications containing mestranol for hormone replacement therapy.
• Mestranol has largely been replaced by ethinyl estradiol in modern contraceptives.
• The patient's prescription included a mestranol-based oral contraceptive.