[Emergency contraception with levonorgestrel for teenagers--efficacy, tolerability, and level of information awareness].
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of efficacy and side effects of emergency contraception for teenagers with levonorgestrel (LNG) and the level of users' informedness about possibilities and practical application.


METHODS
The subjects are healthy girls (n = 49) with regular menstrual cycles at the age between 15 and 19, having had one unprotected or faultily protected sexual intercourse. All of them have administered 0.75 mg LNG within the 72nd hour, repeated after 12 hours. The data have been processed by variational analysis.


RESULTS
One pregnancy was registered of a girl with firstintake at the 67th hour - pregnancy rate - 2,0%. The most frequent side effect was nausea - 26,5%, folowed by breast tenderness - 22,4% and fatigue - 20,4%. An up to 7th day delay in menstrual cycle is non significantly more frequent - 14,3%, followed by a delay of  more than 7 days breakthrough bleeding - 8,2%. No significant changes were established in the lenght of the menstrual cycle. Emergency contraception is sought for after unprotected sexual intercourse in 69,4%, and condom failure problems in 30,6%. Only 18,4% have sufficient information about the possibilities and practical use of emergency contraception.


CONCLUSIONS
LNG provides effective, highly tolerable contraception with a small number of side effects. Need is felt for serious popularization of the application of emergency contraception with teenagers.
Kolarov
G
G
Dimitrov
A
A
Chernev
T
T
Kamenov
Z
Z
Sirakov
M
M
Nikolov
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital / Q000379:methods*; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003283:Contraceptives, Postcoital, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016912:Levonorgestrel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic; D003283:Contraceptives, Postcoital, Synthetic; D016912:Levonorgestrel