title: Attitudes and prescribing patterns of extended-cycle oral contraceptives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The survey was conducted to assess attitudes and patterns of health care providers (HCPs) prescribing extended regimen oral contraceptives (OCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, anonymous, written survey that assessed attitudes and prescribed preferences of extended-cycle OCs was distributed at six educational conferences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An estimated 90% of the conference attendees participated in the survey. Of the 799 HCPs surveyed, 92% have recommended extended-cycle regimens with ob/gyn practitioners most likely to recommend their use (p<.05). The most commonly prescribed extended regimen remains an 84-day active pill cycle followed by a 7-day hormone-free interval (49%). The majority of HCPs (73.5%) continue to prescribe OCs which induce monthly withdrawal bleeds as their most common regimen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While HCPs appear to be recommending extended OC regimens more often, monthly cyclic regimens are the most commonly prescribed.
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
authors.forename: Divya L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Seval
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kuehl
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Sulak
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008598:Menstruation; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral