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Progestin-only contraception and thrombosis: An updated systematic review
Naomi K Tepper1, Antoinette T Nguyen1, Maura K Whiteman1
1Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Progestin-only contraception (POC) use, specifically depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), may increase venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk in women with certain conditions. Other POCs do not appear to elevate VTE or arterial thromboembolism (ATE) risk.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Thrombosis Research
- Pharmacovigilance
Background:
- Limited evidence exists on the association between progestin-only contraception (POC) and thrombosis risk.
- An updated systematic review was conducted to investigate this association.
Conclusions:
- DMPA use may increase VTE risk in women with thrombogenic conditions and the general population.
- No increased risk of VTE or ATE was identified with the use of other POCs.
- Further research is needed on the safety of POC use, particularly DMPA, in women with thrombogenic conditions due to limited data.
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