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Related Experiment Videos

Combination contraceptives: effects on weight.

M F Gallo1, D A Grimes, K F Schulz

  • 1Clinical Research Department, Family Health International, Research Triangle Park, PO Box 13950, North Carolina 27713, USA. mgallo@fhi.org

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|June 14, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Combination contraceptives, including oral and skin patch forms, show no causal link to significant weight gain. Current evidence is insufficient to determine effects, but no large impact on weight is evident.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • Weight gain is a commonly perceived side effect of combination hormonal contraceptives.
  • Concerns about weight gain can lead to reduced use and early discontinuation of these methods.
  • A definitive causal relationship between combination contraceptives and weight gain has not been established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and evaluate the association between combination contraceptive use and changes in body weight.

Main Methods:

  • Searched multiple databases (MEDLINE, Popline, CENTRAL, EMBASE, LILACS) for relevant studies.
  • Included English-language randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of at least three cycles comparing combination contraceptives to placebo or different formulations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzed data using fixed effects models and calculated mean weight differences and odds ratios.

    • Main Results:

    • Three placebo-controlled RCTs found no evidence supporting a causal association between combination oral contraceptives or skin patches and weight gain.
    • Comparisons between different combination contraceptives revealed no substantial weight differences.
    • Discontinuation rates due to weight gain did not differ between study groups.

    Conclusions:

    • Existing evidence is insufficient to definitively establish the effect of combination contraceptives on weight.
    • No large-scale impact on body weight has been observed with combination contraceptive use.