Postcoital contraception with levonorgestrel during the peri-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle. Task Force on Post-ovulatory Methods for Fertility Regulation
- PMID: 3119286
- DOI: 10.1016/0010-7824(87)90097-7
Postcoital contraception with levonorgestrel during the peri-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle. Task Force on Post-ovulatory Methods for Fertility Regulation
Abstract
The contraceptive efficacy and side effects of postcoital levonorgestrel used repeatedly during the peri-ovulatory period of one cycle was examined in 259 women. All subjects were of proven fertility in their present union and had ovulatory cycles as assessed from pre-treatment BBT charts. The mean number of coital acts during the treatment cycle was 7.5 (SD:2.6) and the mean number of 0.75 mg levonorgestrel tablets taken during the peri-ovulatory period was 4.0 (SD:1.2). Two pregnancies, both considered to be method failures, occurred, giving a failure rate of 0.8% per treated cycle. Although the overall effect of levonorgestrel on menstrual cycle length was small and insignificant, menstrual cycle disturbances were not uncommon. Intermenstrual bleeding or spotting occurred in 8.5% of the treated cycles and 12.5% of the cycles were less than 20 or more than 35 days. Other side effects, mainly nausea, headache and dizziness, were reported by about 20% of the subjects but the apparent incidence of these complaints varied markedly between the nine participating centres from 0% to just over 50%. The data suggest that repeated postcoital use of levonorgestrel is probably not a viable approach to fertility regulation for the majority of women who have regular intercourse and wish to limit the number of their pregnancies.
Similar articles
-
Postcoital contraception with dl-norgestrel/ethinyl estradiol combination: six years experience in a student medical clinic.Contraception. 1987 Sep;36(3):287-93. doi: 10.1016/0010-7824(87)90098-9. Contraception. 1987. PMID: 3677675
-
A multicenter clinical study on two types of levonorgestrel tablets administered for postcoital contraception.Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1991 Sep;36(1):43-8. doi: 10.1016/0020-7292(91)90177-7. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1991. PMID: 1683301 Clinical Trial.
-
[Postcoital contraception].Akush Ginekol (Mosk). 1983 Nov;(11):31-3. Akush Ginekol (Mosk). 1983. PMID: 6666796 Russian.
-
[The significance of post-coital hormonal contraception for prevention of conception].Z Arztl Fortbild (Jena). 1990;84(1-2):21-4. Z Arztl Fortbild (Jena). 1990. PMID: 2184592 Review. German. No abstract available.
-
Sometimes You Do Get a Second Chance: Emergency Contraception for Adolescents.Pediatr Clin North Am. 2017 Apr;64(2):371-380. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2016.11.006. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2017. PMID: 28292452 Review.
Cited by
-
A prospective, open-label, single arm, multicentre study to evaluate efficacy, safety and acceptability of pericoital oral contraception using levonorgestrel 1.5 mg.Hum Reprod. 2016 Mar;31(3):530-40. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dev341. Epub 2016 Jan 31. Hum Reprod. 2016. PMID: 26830816 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
-
Repeated use of pre- and postcoital hormonal contraception for prevention of pregnancy.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Sep 26;2014(9):CD007595. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007595.pub3. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014. PMID: 25259677 Free PMC article.
-
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Adverse Effects of Levonorgestrel Emergency Oral Contraceptive.Clin Drug Investig. 2020 May;40(5):395-420. doi: 10.1007/s40261-020-00901-x. Clin Drug Investig. 2020. PMID: 32162237
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources