[Oral contraceptives: undesirable effects in internal medicine]

Eight instructive clinical case reports on younger women demonstrate the actual problem of severe adverse reactions (ADR) associated with oral contraceptives. Complications consisted of cerebral arterial thrombosis, peripheral arterial thrombosis, cerebral embolism, pelvic vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, thrombosis of the sinus sagittalis, recurrent pancreatitis and focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver. Contraindications of hormonal contraception (i.e. heavy smoking) were not always taken seriously by the prescribing physician. The data bank of the Medicines Commission of the German Medical Association contributed 648 cases to draw an ADR frequency profile, according to age, doses, duration of prescription and deaths. 25 deaths in close connection to oral contraception intake were reported, mostly caused by arterial or venous thromboembolism. Deaths predominantly were reported in women less than or equal to 30 years old, mostly following exposition to low-dose-preparations and after relatively short duration of intake (less than or equal to 3 years). These non-representative observations call for strict consideration of contraindications and use of low-dose-preparations, even in younger women.