BONE-MINERAL DENSITY DURING LONG-TERM TREATMENT WITH NORPLANT(R) IMPLANTS AND DEPOT MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF THAI WOMEN

This cross-sectional study compares bone mineral density (BMD) in long -term Norplant(R) implants and depot me medroxyprogesterone acetate (D MPA) users. The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the bone mineral density between women using these contraceptives. For ty one current users of Norplant implants and 50 DMPA users participat ed in the study. The BMD was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiome try in the nondominant distal and ultradistal forearm. Serum estradiol was measured by microparticle enzyme immunoassay technique. The demog raphic characteristics were similar in both groups. The mean durations +/- SD of DA IPA and Norplant implants were 59.14 +/- 30.73 and 31.1 +/- 11.2 months, respectively. The BMD of long-term Norplant implant a nd DMPA users was similar. The serum estradiol in the Norplant implant group was significantly higher than in DMPA users. However, the serum estradiol level in DMPA users ranged into normal for the follicular p hase, which is higher than for postmenopausal women. This study sugges ts that two long-acting progestogen contraceptives do not differ with respect to their impact on BMD in long-term users. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience Inc. All rights reserved.