title: Normophasic preparation containing progestogen desogestrel and ethinylestradiol.
abstract: A Finnish multicenter study was carried out on 157 healthy fertile volunteers (2157 cycles) to evaluate an oral normophasic contraceptive preparation comprising 7 tablets of 0.050 ethinyl estradiol followed by 15 tablets of 0.050 mg ethinyl estradiol + 0.125 mg desogestrel.  Bleeding patterns, side effects, liver function, and dropouts were recorded, as well as the development of the endometrium.  No pregnancies occurred.  Irregular bleeding (spotting and breakthrough bleeding) occurred in 12% of the 1st treatment cycle and in only 4% after 1 year's treatment.  The most common side effects were nausea and headache.  17 women dropped out because of subjective side effects after 12 treatment cycles.  No changes of any clinical importance were seen in mean body weight or liver function tests.  Most of the endometrial biopsies showed a secretory pattern with mild hypoplasia.  No hyperplastic or malignant changes were seen.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luikku
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kortesluoma
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety; D001695:Biology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D001940:Breast; D003267:Contraception; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D003863:Depression; D019049:Developed Countries; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D005060:Europe; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005387:Finland; D006261:Headache; D006470:Hemorrhage; D006653:Histology; D006805:Human Experimentation; D008099:Liver; D008796:Metrorrhagia; D009325:Nausea; D012102:Reproductive Control Agents; D012106:Research; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D012102:Reproductive Control Agents; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol
keywords: Biology; Bleeding; Blood Pressure; Body Weight; Clinical Research; Contraception; Contraceptive Agents; Contraceptive Agents, Estrogen; Contraceptive Agents, Female; Contraceptive Effectiveness; Contraceptive Methods--side effects; Depression; Developed Countries; Ethinyl Estradiol; Europe; Family Planning; Finland; Headache; Hepatic Effects; Histology; Human Volunteers; Mammary Gland Effects; Metrorrhagia; Nausea; Nervousness; Northern Europe; Oral Contraceptives--side effects; Reproductive Control Agents; Research Methodology; Scandinavia; Use-effectiveness