title: The relationship of oral contraceptive use to rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Current use of oral contraceptives among 71 women aged 17 to 45 diagnosed for the first time as having definite or probable rheumatoid arthritis at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound was compared with oral contraceptive use among matched controls. Twenty-three percent of cases and 13% of controls were current users of oral contraceptives at the index date (relative risk estimate = 2.0, 95% CI = 0.97-4.21). We conclude that current oral contraceptive use was not protective against the development of rheumatoid arthritis in this population.
authors.affiliation: Health Care Research Unit, Evans Memorial Department of Clinical Research, Boston University Medical Center, MA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moskowitz
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jick
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burnside
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wallis
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D004967:Estrogens