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Advantages and Disadvantages of Low‐Dose Oral Contraceptives
Author(s) -
Law Barbara
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/j.1879-3479.1979.tb00967.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pill , dose , progestogen , estrogen , family planning , breakthrough bleeding , population , pharmacology , research methodology , environmental health
Law B (University College Hospital and Whittington Hospital, London, England). Advantages and disadvantages of low‐dose oral contraceptives. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 16: 556–560, 1979 Whenever a medication is prescribed, the lowest effective dose should be selected when possible. This recommendation is particularly important when oral contraception is being considered. In the years since the pill became available, there has been a steady decline in the dosages used. Contemporary “low‐dose” varieties are those containing less than 50 μg of estrogen. Although they provide equal reliability, low estrogen formulations contain only a fraction of the quantities used in the original varieties. Subjective side effects are reported far less frequently with lower dose pills, and metabolic effects are reduced. The only associated disadvantage is a tendency to more spotting and breakthrough bleeding in early cycles. No matter how low the dose, there will always be some women for whom this method is not suitable. Fortunately, the progestogen‐only pill—a considerably underused contraceptive measure—can often be highly acceptable.