Postponement of withdrawal bleeding in women using low-dose combined oral contraceptives

Postponement of menses is widely practised by women using oral contraceptives. One-hundred volunteers, consisting of three groups of women, each group using a different extensively used contraceptive regimen, were tested and compared. The test period consisted mainly of a double (monophasics) or extended (triphasics) pill cycle without a tablet-free interval. Based on daily records of vaginal bleedings as well as on the results of a questionnaire, it could be concluded that postponement of the withdrawal bleeding for twenty extra days was generally effective; the occurrence of the bleedings was related to the duration of postponement of menses and to the contraceptive regimen that was used. However, the introduction of a seven-week cycle pill is not yet a promising alternative since the majority of the volunteers preferred the inconvenience of a monthly withdrawal bleeding.