Clinical trial with a new low oestrogen combined oral contraceptive

Summary

An oral contraceptive combination of 30 μg. ethinyl oestradiol and 150 μg. D-norgestrel was studied in 98 patients over 1216 cycles. No pregnancies were reported during the trial period. Cycle control was good: 96.7% of cycles were 28 ± 3 days with a mean duration of menstrual bleeding of 4.3 days. Bleeding irregularities were not marked; amenorrhoea occurred in 1.7% of cycles, spotting in 5.4% and breakthrough bleeding in 5.8 %. The incidence of side-effects commonly associated with combined oral contraceptives was also low.

The author concludes, therefore, that this new lower-dose combination is an effective and relatively trouble-free ovulation inhibitor.

Key words: :

• Norgestrel
• ethinyl oestradiol
• contraceptives
• oral