Minimizing the problem of poor compliance in adolescents. Clinical experience with a modern low-dose...

Adolescents represent a particularly difficult group with respect to compliance. Not only is incorrect pill intake a common problem, but unnecessary discontinuation also occurs regularly. Reasons for poor compliance are varied, but inadequate information and problems with cycle control and weight gain are particularly important. Choosing a well-tolerated oral contraceptive can help to improve compliance, and clinical experience from a large, multicenter trial suggests that monophasic gestodene (75 micrograms gestodene/30 micrograms ethinylestradiol) is a suitable preparation for this group of women. An investigation of 5,602 adolescents with an average age of 16.4 years found good contraceptive reliability and excellent cycle control. The incidence of spotting and breakthrough bleeding was low and declined during the course of the study. The preparation was tolerated well, and the incidence of adverse events was low, with only 4.4% of women withdrawing from the study due to adverse events. An increase in body weight was uncommon. At the end of the study, 85.0% of adolescents rated monophasic gestodene as good and 9.6% as satisfactory.