title: Effect of oral contraceptive pill pretreatment on ongoing pregnancy rates in patients stimulated with GnRH antagonists and recombinant FSH for IVF. A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to assess the effect of oral contraceptive pill (OCP) pretreatment on the probability of ongoing pregnancy in patients treated with a GnRH antagonist for IVF.
  
  
  METHODS
  A fixed dose of 200 IU recombinant FSH (rFSH) was started in 425 patients either on day 2 of the menstrual cycle (non-OCP group: n = 211) or 5 days after discontinuing the OCP (OCP group: n = 214). GnRH-antagonist was initiated on day 6 of stimulation, and triggering of final oocyte maturation was performed with 10,000 IU of HCG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ongoing pregnancy rates per started cycle in the non-OCP and OCP group were 27.5% and 22.9%, respectively [95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference: -3.7 to +12.8]. Pregnancy loss was significantly increased in the OCP (36.4%) compared with the non-OCP group (21.6%) (95% CI of the difference: -28.4 to -2.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment with OCP, as compared with initiation of stimulation on day 2 of the cycle in patients treated with GnRH antagonist and recombinant FSH, appears to be associated with a not significant difference in ongoing pregnancy rates per started cycle and results in a significantly higher early pregnancy loss.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Human Reproduction, Aristotle University, GR 54603 Thessaloniki, Greece. Stratis.Kolibianakis@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Efstratios M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Kolibianakis
authors.forename: Evangelos G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Papanikolaou
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camus
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tournaye
authors.forename: Andre C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Van Steirteghem
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devroey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005300:Fertility Agents, Female / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000628:therapy; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D005300:Fertility Agents, Female; D006727:Hormone Antagonists; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone