Evaluation of the quality of life and sexual functioning of women using a 30-microg ethinyloestradiol and 3-mg drospirenone combined oral contraceptive.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of a 30-microg ethinyloestradiol and 3-microg drospirenone (EE 30 microg/drsp 3 mg) combined oral contraceptive (COC) on the quality of life (QoL) and sexual functioning.


METHODS
Sixty-one women using this COC were assessed. The control group consisted of 65 women using different types of COC. A questionnaire with a Polish version of the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Mell-Krat Scale (SFK-K) evaluating QoL and sexuality was used as the research tool.


RESULTS
QoL indices for women using EE 30 microg/drsp 3 mg scored higher than for the controls and statistically significantly so with regard to improved general health and mood (p < 0.02), and mental health (p < 0.01). Women taking EE 30 microg/drsp 3 mg functioned sexually better, particularly with regard to sexual arousal (p < 0.006). Using the SFK-K scale, sexual dysfunctions were diagnosed in 66.2% of the women in the control group and 48.3% of those in the EE 30 microg/drsp 3 mg group (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The intake of the COC containing 30 microg ethinyloestradiol and 3 mg drospirenone is associated with an improvement of general QoL and female sexual functioning. However, the limitations of this study should be taken into account.
Skrzypulec
V
V
Woman's Health Chair, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
Drosdzol
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000736:Androstenes / Q000009:adverse effects; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000009:adverse effects; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000139:chemically induced*
D000736:Androstenes; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; C035144:drospirenone