Initial selection of oral contraceptives

Abstract

A prospective, randomized trial compared client experiences with three popular oral contraceptives--Triphasil, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 and Ortho-Novum 1/35. After one year, no significant relationship was found between the contraceptive prescribed and either breakthrough bleeding or satisfaction with the medication. The monophasic formulation, Ortho-Novum 1/35, was associated with amenorrhea more often.

PIP: Differences in breakthrough bleeding, amenorrhea, and patient compliance among users of monophasic (Ortho-Novum 1/35) and triphasic (Triphasil and Ortho-Novum 7/7/7) oral contraceptives (OCs) were investigated in a prospective study at a Michigan family planning clinic. 377 (79%) of the women originally enrolled in the study completed the 1-year study period. There was no association between failure to return to the clinic at the required intervals and type of OC prescribed. The percentage of women experiencing breakthrough bleeding in their 1st year of use was 18.4% among Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 users, 17.8% among Ortho-Novum 1/35 users, and 11.2% among Triphasil users; the percentages of women reporting amenorrhea were 3.0%, 12.8%, and 0.0%, respectively. The degree of patient satisfaction was 82.8% for Ortho-Novum 7/7/7, 90.7% for Ortho-Novum 1/35, and 85.2% for Triphasil. No significant correlations were detected between age, weight, or height and the 3 variables under investigation. These findings indicate that Ortho-Novum 1/35, the monophasic formulation, is more frequently associated with amenorrhea than the triphasic OCs and that Triphasil seems to be most efficient in terms of establishing regular, dependable menstrual periods. However, neither breakthrough bleeding nor patient satisfaction were related to the brand of OC prescribed.