title: Postponement of withdrawal bleeding in women using low-dose combined oral contraceptives.
abstract: Postponement of menses is widely practised by women using oral contraceptives. One-hundred volunteers, consisting of three groups of women, each group using a different extensively used contraceptive regimen, were tested and compared. The test period consisted mainly of a double (monophasics) or extended (triphasics) pill cycle without a tablet-free interval. Based on daily records of vaginal bleedings as well as on the results of a questionnaire, it could be concluded that postponement of the withdrawal bleeding for twenty extra days was generally effective; the occurrence of the bleedings was related to the duration of postponement of menses and to the contraceptive regimen that was used. However, the introduction of a seven-week cycle pill is not yet a promising alternative since the majority of the volunteers preferred the inconvenience of a monthly withdrawal bleeding.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017135:Desogestrel; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016912:Levonorgestrel; D008019:Life Style; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D009644:Norgestrel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009652:Norpregnenes / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D009652:Norpregnenes; D009644:Norgestrel; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D016912:Levonorgestrel; D017135:Desogestrel