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. 2003 Mar;18(3):515-21.
doi: 10.1093/humrep/deg090.

Differences in the use of combined oral contraceptives amongst women with and without acne

H E Seaman  1 , C S de Vries, R D T Farmer
Affiliations

Differences in the use of combined oral contraceptives amongst women with and without acne

H E Seaman et al. Hum Reprod. 2003 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Cyproterone acetate combined with ethinyl estradiol (CPA/EE) provides a treatment option for women with acne, hirsutism or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). CPA/EE may be prescribed as an oral contraceptive (OC), but is not licensed as such in the UK. The use of CPA/EE steadily increased after its introduction to the UK market in 1987, but there was a marked increase in its share of the OC market after 1995.

Methods: Using the General Practice Research Database, utilization patterns of CPA/EE and conventional oral contraceptives were compared in women aged 15-39 years, with or without acne or PCOS.

Results: Between 1994 and 1998, CPA/EE accounted for an increasing proportion of all OC use. The proportion of CPA/EE prescribed to women with acne declined between 1994 and 1998, whereas that prescribed to women with PCOS remained constant. The age-specific use of CPA/EE by women with acne or PCOS almost doubled. After 1995, there was a marked increase in the use of products containing levonorgestrel by women with acne or PCOS.

Conclusions: A large proportion of CPA/EE is prescribed to women with acne and/or PCOS, although this proportion decreased between 1992 and 1998. This has important implications in CPA/EE risk assessment studies.

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