title: Oral contraceptives for acne treatment: US Dermatologists' knowledge, comfort, and prescribing practices.
abstract: The use of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), which can be an effective treatment of acne in women, is poorly understood among many dermatologists. In this study, we surveyed 116 US dermatologists about their knowledge, comfort, and prescribing practices pertaining to the use of OCPs. The majority of respondents had previously prescribed OCPs and believed they were an effective treatment of acne in women. Despite adverse effects such as increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with OCPs, especially those containing drospirenone, our study indicated that many dermatologists believe the benefits of increased treatment efficacy may outweigh the risks.
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mauer
authors.affiliation: Permanente Medical Group, Pleasanton, California, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000736:Androstenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000072085:Dermatologists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000736:Androstenes; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; C035144:drospirenone