title: Return to fertility after cessation of a continuous oral contraceptive.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the return to fertility among women planning to become pregnant after the use of a continuous regimen of levonorgestrel 90 microg and ethinyl E(2) 20 microg.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive analysis of pregnancy outcomes after participation in a contraceptive trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in a phase 3 contraceptive trial who discontinued to become pregnant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible subjects were contacted at 3 and 12 months after treatment discontinuation to determine if and when they had conceived.
  
  
  METHODS
  Kaplan-Meier analysis displaying the time until conception after oral contraceptive discontinuation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the phase 3 trial, 34 of 2,134 subjects cited a desire for pregnancy as a reason for discontinuation. Of these, 4 were already pregnant before stopping treatment, 4 initiated other contraception, and 5 were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 21 subjects at risk of pregnancy, the pregnancy rate was 57% at 3 months, 81% at 12 months, and 86% (18 of 21) (95% confidence interval 64% to 97%) at 13 months after discontinuation of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that a continuous oral contraceptive with levonorgestrel 90 microg and ethinyl E(2) 20 microg does not delay the return to fertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, PENN Fertility Care, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. kbarnhart@obgyn.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barnhart
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mirkin
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grubb
authors.forename: Ginger
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Constantine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016912:Levonorgestrel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D016912:Levonorgestrel