A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study to assess the effect oforal contraceptive pills on the outcome of medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol

This was a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial to determine th e effect of oral contraceptive (OC) pills taken immediately after medical a bortion on the duration of bleeding and complete abortion rate. Two hundred women in the first 49 days of pregnancy were given 200 mg mifepristone ora lly followed by 400 mu g misoprostol vaginally 48 h later. One day later, t hey were randomized to receive either OC pills (30 mu g of ethinyl oestradi ol and 0.15 mg of levonorgestrel per tablet) or placebo for 21 days, The co mplete abortion rates were 98% in the OC group and 99% in the placebo group . The median duration of bleeding was similar: 17 (range: 5-57) days in the OC group and 16 (range: 6-55) days in the placebo group. In the OC group t here was a small but significant fall in the haemoglobin concentration by 1 4 days (5.3 g/dl) after administration of mifepristone. The incidence of si de-effects was similar in the two groups. We conclude that the use of OC pi lls does not decrease the duration of bleeding after medical abortion nor d oes it affect the abortion rate.