Elsimar M. Coutinho
Encyclopedia
Elsimar Metzker Coutinho (Pojuca
, May 18, 1930) is a scientist
of Luso-Austrian descent, professor
, gynecologist and television personality, and The Prince of Itapoan
Coutinho is a descendant of a branch of the Portuguese Coutinho family which settled lands in South America when they married into the family of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal."
The Coutinho's are one of Portugal's oldest and most illustrious families, with direct ties to the Portuguese Royal family. The family's name is derived from their property as the owners of the Couto do Leomil, referring to lands in central Portugal near the Spanish border. INHO being the Portuguese diminutive, meaning small, and Couto being the Portuguese version of the Spanish Coto; "couto" + inho = Coutinho. The Coutinho's have held a number of titles of nobility including Counts of Marialva, Counts of Redondo, Viceroy's of Portuguese India (Goa) and Hereditary Captains of two Brazilian Capitanies. Amongst their relatives is Guiomar, Countess of Marialva and Loulé, wife of the Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Guarda. Other Coutinho branches include the Marques do Funchal and the Viscondes da Torre. Dr. Elsimar Coutinho himself is referred to as "Prince of Itapoã", a reference to the lands owned by the family. The family is divided into three major branches.
It was in the city of Pojuca that Coutinho completed his first studies, followed by high school at the Colégio Estadual da Bahia (Central). The family arrived in the city of Salvador when his father decided to develop a vast expanse of land in a neighbourhood of the city known as Itapoã
, made famous by the books of Jorge Amado
and the music of Dorival Caymmi
. To this day the family still own large sections of the beachfront.
The former Coutinho lands are the triangle between what is known today as Dorival Caymmi square to the Pedra do Sal, up to and including the Abaetê Lagoon. Later Coutinho studied pharmacy at the Faculdade de Farmácia e Bioquímica, graduating in 1951 followed by a course in medicine, completed in 1956, both at the Federal University of Bahia/UFBA
.
Coutinho then attended a graduate course at the Sorbonne in Paris. There he met his wife Micheline Charlotte, a descendant of the aristocratic Barlatier de Mas and Peghoux family's. They had three children, E. Coutinho Neto, Tess P. Coutinho Dorea and Charlotte P. Coutinho Lisboa, and six grandchildren. His primary residence is the former Governor's mansion on Salvador's North Shore. He also spends time at the Coutinho country estate, Fazenda Nossa Senhora da Paz and on his yacht, The Breeze.
On his return from France he became an associate professor of physiology at UFBA, but not for long as he was invited to be a fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation
in the area of reproductive endocrinology, there he worked at the "Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research", which has become "Rockefeller University". Following giants of human reproductive research such as A. Csapo and G. Corner (discoverers of progesterone
) Coutinho began studying steroids with progestagenic effects, and in particular was able to identify the role of ions, calcium and magnesium as peripheral agents in the action of progesterone.
After leaving New York, Coutinho became the director of clinical research of the Climério de Oliveira Maternity Clinic of the Federal University of Bahia. Under his directorship the center became the first Human Reproduction Research Center of the World Health Organization in Latin America.
In the early 1960s Coutinho began studying the use of progestagenic substances in the prevention of premature births. In those studies he observed and described the contraceptive effect of medroxiprogesterone (MPA). These studies led to the discovery of the first injectable contraceptive: Ciclofem.
The discovery pushed Coutinho's research into the limelight, making him one of the world authorities in endocrinology and family planning. During that period Coutinho made family planning his cause célebre, and began creating family planning programs in collaboration with a number of countries and institutions, including that of China organized by the, then, University of Shanghai. Coutinho was the founder of the first large-scale free family planning centers in Brazil. The centers named CEPARH are open to the public and treats thousands of low-income women per year at no charge.
After Ciclofem, Coutinho was the pioneer of the studies that led to the discovery of the use of Depo-Provera, the first injectable contraceptive method with prolonged effects.
Coutinho also proposed the first contraceptive pill containing norgestrel
, which is today the most used contraceptive pill method in the world. That discovery was followed by the first reduced dosage pill. Other discoveries by Coutinho include subcutaneous prolonged effect contraceptives (6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and 6 years), two intrauterine devices known as the Lorena Cross and the Caravaca Cross and Lovelle, the vaginal pill.
Coutinho was also responsible for the discovery of treatments for women with infertility caused by endometriosis
, a topic on which he became a world expert, being the host and president of the 4th World Congress on Endometriosis. Coutinho published the first studies on the reduction of Miomas in 1982.
Coutinho was one of the founders of the "International Committee for Contraceptive Research" - ICCR, of the "Population Council", notorious for their work on IUDs medicated with copper and Norplant the subdermal hormonal implant with levonorgestrel.
He was also director of the human reproduction council of the "Steering Committee of the Task Force on Infertility of the Expanded Programme in Human Reproduction" of the World Health Organization
.
Coutinho is a member of 32 medical societies. By the year 2000 he had participated as a guest lecturer in 253 congresses. He published 350 scientific studies, mostly in international medical journals such as Nature, Endocrinology, Fertility and Sterility, and The American Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Contraception. He has published ten books. His book Is Menstruation Obsolete?, co-authored with Sheldon Segal
in 1996, is in its 8th edition. The English version of this book was published by Oxford University Press and has received praise from medical journals such as The Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the British Medical Association's reviewer who called it a masterpiece.
, a substance extracted from cotton
. This discovery led to studies into the first male non-hormonal contraceptive pill.
1994 Merit Medal of the State of Bahia
1993 Segal-Mastroianni Prize, World Academy of Art and Science.
1992 Nominated to the Nobel Council by the Legislature of the State of Bahia
1990 1st José Silveira Medal, Rotary Club
1990 Christopher Columbus Award, International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS).
1985 World Academy of Population and Health Sciences Award, World Academy of Population and Health Sciences.
1985 Axel Munthe Award. Finalist, Axel Munthe.
1979 Medal of Achievement from the FBEFM
1971 Upjohn Award, IFFS
Pojuca
Pojuca is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
, May 18, 1930) is a scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
of Luso-Austrian descent, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, gynecologist and television personality, and The Prince of Itapoan
Biography
Coutinho is the son of a landowner, politician and pharmacognosis professor of the Pharmacology School of Paraná (Escola de Farmácia do Paraná), who was appointed mayor of the municipality of Pojuca in the 1930s (during the military coup that placed Getulio Vargas, a civilian, in the presidency) and Mrs. Alaíde Metzker. Coutinho is also the brother of Senator Alaor Coutinho and the artist Riolan Coutinho. Coutinho currently triangulates between South America, North America and Europe on a regular basis.The Coutinho's are one of Portugal's oldest and most illustrious families, with direct ties to the Portuguese Royal family. The family's name is derived from their property as the owners of the Couto do Leomil, referring to lands in central Portugal near the Spanish border. INHO being the Portuguese diminutive, meaning small, and Couto being the Portuguese version of the Spanish Coto; "couto" + inho = Coutinho. The Coutinho's have held a number of titles of nobility including Counts of Marialva, Counts of Redondo, Viceroy's of Portuguese India (Goa) and Hereditary Captains of two Brazilian Capitanies. Amongst their relatives is Guiomar, Countess of Marialva and Loulé, wife of the Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Guarda. Other Coutinho branches include the Marques do Funchal and the Viscondes da Torre. Dr. Elsimar Coutinho himself is referred to as "Prince of Itapoã", a reference to the lands owned by the family. The family is divided into three major branches.
It was in the city of Pojuca that Coutinho completed his first studies, followed by high school at the Colégio Estadual da Bahia (Central). The family arrived in the city of Salvador when his father decided to develop a vast expanse of land in a neighbourhood of the city known as Itapoã
Itapoã (neighbourhood)
Itapoã is a neighborhood located in the western zone of Salvador, Bahia. Mentioned in the "Beaches" section. An interesting seaside village . Acarajés from Cira , across from a square that's very lively at night. The Baiana next to Cira is not as famous, but her acarajés are great too...
, made famous by the books of Jorge Amado
Jorge Amado
Jorge Leal Amado de Faria was a Brazilian writer of the Modernist school. He was the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, notably Dona Flor and her Two Husbands in 1978...
and the music of Dorival Caymmi
Dorival Caymmi
Dorival Caymmi was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, actor, and painter active for more than 70 years beginning in 1933...
. To this day the family still own large sections of the beachfront.
Universidade Federal da Bahia
The Universidade Federal da Bahia is a public university located mainly in the city of Salvador. The largest university of the State of Bahia, and one of the most prestigious Brazilian universities.Students can study there without having to pay tuition fees, as it is a public university...
.
Coutinho then attended a graduate course at the Sorbonne in Paris. There he met his wife Micheline Charlotte, a descendant of the aristocratic Barlatier de Mas and Peghoux family's. They had three children, E. Coutinho Neto, Tess P. Coutinho Dorea and Charlotte P. Coutinho Lisboa, and six grandchildren. His primary residence is the former Governor's mansion on Salvador's North Shore. He also spends time at the Coutinho country estate, Fazenda Nossa Senhora da Paz and on his yacht, The Breeze.
Career
At the Sorbonne Coutinho studied with professor Claude Fromageot, which led to his interest in hormonal mechanisms, a topic on which he became a specialist and still researches today.On his return from France he became an associate professor of physiology at UFBA, but not for long as he was invited to be a fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
in the area of reproductive endocrinology, there he worked at the "Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research", which has become "Rockefeller University". Following giants of human reproductive research such as A. Csapo and G. Corner (discoverers of progesterone
Progesterone
Progesterone also known as P4 is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and embryogenesis of humans and other species...
) Coutinho began studying steroids with progestagenic effects, and in particular was able to identify the role of ions, calcium and magnesium as peripheral agents in the action of progesterone.
After leaving New York, Coutinho became the director of clinical research of the Climério de Oliveira Maternity Clinic of the Federal University of Bahia. Under his directorship the center became the first Human Reproduction Research Center of the World Health Organization in Latin America.
In the early 1960s Coutinho began studying the use of progestagenic substances in the prevention of premature births. In those studies he observed and described the contraceptive effect of medroxiprogesterone (MPA). These studies led to the discovery of the first injectable contraceptive: Ciclofem.
The discovery pushed Coutinho's research into the limelight, making him one of the world authorities in endocrinology and family planning. During that period Coutinho made family planning his cause célebre, and began creating family planning programs in collaboration with a number of countries and institutions, including that of China organized by the, then, University of Shanghai. Coutinho was the founder of the first large-scale free family planning centers in Brazil. The centers named CEPARH are open to the public and treats thousands of low-income women per year at no charge.
After Ciclofem, Coutinho was the pioneer of the studies that led to the discovery of the use of Depo-Provera, the first injectable contraceptive method with prolonged effects.
Coutinho also proposed the first contraceptive pill containing norgestrel
Norgestrel
Norgestrel is a progestin used in hormonal contraceptives. Norgestrel is a mixture of two stereoisomers, dextro-norgestrel and levo-norgestrel . Only levonorgestrel is biologically active...
, which is today the most used contraceptive pill method in the world. That discovery was followed by the first reduced dosage pill. Other discoveries by Coutinho include subcutaneous prolonged effect contraceptives (6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and 6 years), two intrauterine devices known as the Lorena Cross and the Caravaca Cross and Lovelle, the vaginal pill.
Coutinho was also responsible for the discovery of treatments for women with infertility caused by endometriosis
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a gynecological medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the ovaries. The uterine cavity is lined by endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones...
, a topic on which he became a world expert, being the host and president of the 4th World Congress on Endometriosis. Coutinho published the first studies on the reduction of Miomas in 1982.
Coutinho was one of the founders of the "International Committee for Contraceptive Research" - ICCR, of the "Population Council", notorious for their work on IUDs medicated with copper and Norplant the subdermal hormonal implant with levonorgestrel.
He was also director of the human reproduction council of the "Steering Committee of the Task Force on Infertility of the Expanded Programme in Human Reproduction" of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
.
Coutinho is a member of 32 medical societies. By the year 2000 he had participated as a guest lecturer in 253 congresses. He published 350 scientific studies, mostly in international medical journals such as Nature, Endocrinology, Fertility and Sterility, and The American Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Contraception. He has published ten books. His book Is Menstruation Obsolete?, co-authored with Sheldon Segal
Sheldon Segal
Sheldon Jerome Segal was an American embryologist and biochemist who spent his entire career working on contraception and made major innovations in the field of long-lasting alternatives, including in the creation of Norplant, the first major development advance in birth control since the birth...
in 1996, is in its 8th edition. The English version of this book was published by Oxford University Press and has received praise from medical journals such as The Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the British Medical Association's reviewer who called it a masterpiece.
Discoveries
- The Modern Contraceptive Pill
- The Vaginal Pill (Lovelle)
- The Cruz de Caravaca & Croix de Lorraine IUD's (Intra-Uterine-Devices)
- The Male Contraceptive Pill
Male contraceptive pill
Coutinho was responsible for the discovery of the contraceptive effects of gossypolGossypol
Gossypol is a natural phenol derived from the cotton plant . Gossypol is a phenolic aldehyde that permeates cells and acts as an inhibitor for several dehydrogenase enzymes. It is a yellow pigment....
, a substance extracted from cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. This discovery led to studies into the first male non-hormonal contraceptive pill.
Menstrual suppression
Coutinho has studied menstrual suppression since the 1960s. Those studies culminated in the publishing of "Is Menstruation Obsolete", co-authored with Sheldon Segal.The Biology of Jealousy
O Sexo do Ciúme published in 2007, is a compilation of texts and studies which relate biology to human behaviour, along the lines of studies in human behavioural ecology. The author explains the natural factors which influence jealousy and male/female attitudes in regards to sex and relationships.Awards
2000 Tomé de Sousa Medal1994 Merit Medal of the State of Bahia
1993 Segal-Mastroianni Prize, World Academy of Art and Science.
1992 Nominated to the Nobel Council by the Legislature of the State of Bahia
1990 1st José Silveira Medal, Rotary Club
1990 Christopher Columbus Award, International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS).
1985 World Academy of Population and Health Sciences Award, World Academy of Population and Health Sciences.
1985 Axel Munthe Award. Finalist, Axel Munthe.
1979 Medal of Achievement from the FBEFM
1971 Upjohn Award, IFFS
Controversy and Criticism
Dr. Coutinho has had an extremely controversial career which included a very public battle with Cardinal Moreira Neves in which he and the Cardinal attacked each other through the press. The battle coincided with the Candelaria Massacre for which Coutinho said the church had indirect responsibility as the children were killed on their doorstep and whilst the church refused to acknowledge the need for family planning, after children were born and abandoned their doors were closed to them. He was accused of racism by the Geledes Black Women's Institute for only using images of black women on the publicity for his free clinics. Coutinho responded that the publicity is designed to suit the majority of the population and that what would be racist would be to make commercials with white women when the majority is black or mixed race.External links
- http://www.ceparh.com.br CEPARH
- http://www.elsimarcoutinho.com Personal Site