Abstract
Objective
A review of evidence was conducted to assess the safety, effectiveness and continuation
of once-a-month contraceptive pills.
Methods
Papers were identified by electronic searches in Chinese and international databases
and manual searches of Chinese journals and index of family planning literature. Data
on pharmacokinetics, clinical performance and laboratory examinations were extracted
from 17 papers of mixed quality on pills containing quinestrol 3 mg and norgestrel
12 mg (Quin-Ng) or levonorgestrel 6 mg (Quin-Lng) used by women in China.
Results
Quin-Lng pills gave steady-state serum levels of ethinylestradiol between 0.20���0.25
and 0.15 ng/mL. The 1-year perfect use pregnancy rate was 1.1 per 100 women-years.
Nausea and increased leukorrhea were common; bleeding control was good. Hypertension
developed in 5.8% of Quin-Ng pill users during the first year of use. For Quin-Ng
and Quin-Lng once-a-month pills, 1 year continuation rates were 73.6 and 82.1 per
100, respectively.
Conclusions
Lack of good quality data prevents confident assessment of the safety and efficacy
of once-a-month pills. Short-term safety information indicates a high incidence of
bothersome side effects and hypertension. The high monthly estrogen and progestogen
doses raise questions about the safety of the once-a-month pills.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 02, 2007
Accepted:
January 2,
2007
Received in revised form:
November 22,
2006
Received:
August 20,
2006
Footnotes
���The review was funded by the State Family Planning Commission, Beijing, China and the Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
