Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Quick start: novel oral contraceptive initiation method.

Carolyn Westhoff1, Jennifer Kerns, Chelsea Morroni

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. clw3@columbia.edu

Contraception
|October 18, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Road to Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Syphilis in Malawi: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Health System Readiness.

Sexually transmitted diseases·2026
Same author

The Potential for Combined Treponemal/Nontreponemal Rapid Point-of-Care Test and Treponema pallidum Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Diagnosis of Gestational and Congenital Syphilis in a Low-Resource, High-Prevalence Setting: Pilot Data From Malawi.

Sexually transmitted diseases·2026
Same author

Evaluation of Partner Notification Strategies to Improve Syphilis Management in Pregnancy in Blantyre, Malawi: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Sexually transmitted diseases·2026
Same author

Understanding barriers to cervical cancer screening in Botswana: Insights from a cross-sectional study.

International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics·2026
Same author

Editorial.

Contraception·2026
Same author

Prevalence and Incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Among Women Who Initiated HIV PrEP During Pregnancy in Kenya.

Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999)·2026

Starting oral contraceptives (OCs) immediately, rather than waiting for menses, significantly improves short-term continuation. This approach simplifies initiation and reduces the need for backup contraception.

Area of Science:

  • Family Planning
  • Reproductive Health
  • Contraception

Background:

  • Conventional oral contraceptive (OC) initiation requires starting the first tablet during menses.
  • This conventional method necessitates detailed patient counseling and may require interim, less effective contraceptive methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate predictors of short-term oral contraceptive (OC) continuation.
  • To assess the impact of immediate OC initiation versus waiting for menses on continuation rates.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective evaluation of 250 oral contraceptive (OC) requestors at an urban family planning clinic.
  • Participants were offered various initiation approaches, including immediate initiation.
  • Telephone follow-up was conducted to assess short-term continuation.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Women who took their first oral contraceptive (OC) tablet in the clinic were more likely to continue OCs until the second package (adjusted OR 2.8).
  • Factors associated with short-term continuation included partner's knowledge of OC use, older age, and strong desire to avoid pregnancy.

Conclusions:

  • Immediate oral contraceptive (OC) initiation is a viable strategy that enhances short-term continuation.
  • Simplifying OC initiation protocols can improve adherence and contraceptive effectiveness.