Ethinylestradiol sulfonate (EES), sold under the brand names Deposiston and Turisteron among others, is an estrogen medication which has been used in birth control pills for women and in the treatment of prostate cancer in men.

[1][5][2][3] Side effects of EES in men include breast tenderness, gynecomastia, feminization, sexual dysfunction, and cardiovascular complications, among others.

[2][3] EES is rapidly taken up into fat and slowly released from it, resulting in a biological half-life of about 6 days with the oral route and allowing the medication to be taken only once per week.

[8][9][10] EES has been used in combination with norethisterone acetate as a once-a-week birth control pill and by itself as a form of high-dose estrogen therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer.

[15][16][1] Side effects of EES in men include breast tenderness, gynecomastia, feminization, sexual dysfunction, shortness of breath (6.8%), increased prolactin levels, and cardiovascular toxicity.

[5][2] The cardiovascular complications of EES in men with prostate cancer specifically include edema (4.5 to 26%), blood clots like deep vein thrombosis (4.1 to 15%) and pulmonary embolism, heart attack (2.3 to 18%), stroke (2.3 to 3.0%), and coronary artery disease (3.3%).

[1][12][2] EES is a powerful antigonadotropin, and is capable of suppressing circulating total testosterone levels in men to concentrations comparable to those seen with castration (less than 1 to 3% of initial values).

[5][22][23][21] As such, EES is a powerful functional antiandrogen, which makes it useful for treating prostate cancer.

[1][3] It was first introduced for use in combination with norethisterone acetate under the brand name Deposiston as a once-a-week birth control pill for women in 1978.

[1] The medication was subsequently introduced by itself under the brand name Turisteron for the treatment of prostate cancer in men in 1980.