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Low-dose ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel.

Toni M Dando¹, Monique P Curran

¹Adis International Limited, Auckland, New Zealand.

|November 4, 2005

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Low-dose ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel 20 microg/100 microg is an effective combined oral contraceptive. This birth control method demonstrated a Pearl Index of 0.88 in a 3-year trial, showing high contraceptive efficacy.

Area of Science:

Reproductive Health
Pharmacology
Contraception

Background:

Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are widely used for pregnancy prevention.
Low-dose formulations aim to balance efficacy with reduced side effects.
Ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel is a common COC formulation.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the contraceptive efficacy and safety of low-dose ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel 20 microg/100 microg.
To assess cycle control and adverse events associated with this COC.
To compare its performance with other low-dose COCs.

Main Methods:

A 3-year open-label trial involving 1708 women and 26,554 cycles.
A 6-cycle comparative trial with 463 women and other low-dose COCs.

Related Experiment Videos

Data collection on pregnancies, adverse events, and cycle control.

Main Results:

Pearl Index of 0.88 and a 3-year cumulative pregnancy rate of 1.9%.
Contraceptive efficacy was comparable to other ethinylestradiol-based COCs.
Most common adverse events leading to discontinuation were headache and metrorrhagia (2%).
Generally good cycle control observed, with intermenstrual bleeding decreasing over time.

Conclusions:

Ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel 20 microg/100 microg offers reliable contraception.
The formulation is well-tolerated, with manageable adverse events.
It provides effective pregnancy prevention and good cycle control for users.