Levonorgestrel: new preparation. Emergency contraceptive.
(1) The cornerstone of the clinical file on single-agent levonorgestrel (750 mug per tablet) in emergency contraception is a randomised comparative double-blind trial involving nearly 2,000 women.  (2) In this trial the efficacy of two levonorgestrel doses (750 mug per dose) was significantly superior to that of two doses of the ethinyloestradiol (100 mug) + levonorgestrel (500 mug) combination: respectively 1.1% and 3.2% of women became pregnant.  (3) Nausea and vomiting, dizzy spells and fatigue were half as frequent in the women using single-agent levonorgestrel (750 mug) as in those receiving the combined product. In both groups nearly a third of the women had abnormal periods after treatment.
D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D016912:Levonorgestrel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D016912:Levonorgestrel