Article

Cycle control with a 21-day compared with a 24-day oral contraceptive pill: a randomized controlled trial.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Obstetrics and Gynecology (impact factor: 4.73). 12/2009; 114(6):1205-12. DOI:10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181beab47 pp.1205-12
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT To compare bleeding patterns between a 21/7-day triphasic norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol (E2) 25-microgram oral contraceptive pill (OCP) and a 24/4-day drospirenone/ethinyl E2 20-microgram OCP.
In a three-cycle, open-label, multicenter study, healthy, sexually active women were assigned randomly to a 21/7-day (norgestimate/ethinyl E2) or 24/4-day (drospirenone/ethinyl E2) OCP regimen. Randomization was stratified to assure a balanced distribution between regimens for "fresh starts" and "switchers." Bleeding data were collected daily using an interactive voice-response system. Bleeding was defined according to the 2007 U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Reproductive Health Drug Advisory Committee-endorsed criteria.
Across the three cycles, the 21/7-day OCP group (n=165) reported fewer unscheduled bleeding days than did the 24/4-day OCP group (n=167) (mean 4.6 compared with 6.1 days, P=.003). Women using the 21/7-day OCP had significantly fewer episodes of unscheduled bleeding than did those using the 24/4-day OCP (mean 1.47 compared with 2.01, P=.001). Moreover, women using the 21/7-day OCP had a significantly lower absence of scheduled bleeding at each cycle (P<.001). Both regimens were well-tolerated.
A 21-day norgestimate/ethinyl E2 25-microgram regimen results in less unscheduled bleeding and more scheduled bleeding than does a 24-day drospirenone/ethinyl E2 20-microgram regimen.
ClinicalTrials.gov, www.ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00745901.
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Keywords

21-day norgestimate/ethinyl E2 25-microgram regimen results
 
21/7-day OCP group
 
21/7-day triphasic norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol
 
24-day drospirenone/ethinyl E2 20-microgram regimen
 
24/4-day drospirenone/ethinyl E2 20-microgram OCP
 
24/4-day OCP group
 
balanced distribution
 
Drug Administration's Reproductive Health Drug Advisory Committee-endorsed criteria
 
episodes
 
healthy
 
interactive voice-response system
 
lower absence
 
multicenter study
 
norgestimate/ethinyl E2
 
OCP
 
randomly
 
switchers
 
three cycles
 
three-cycle
 

Andrew M Kaunitz