Efficacy, acceptability, and clinical effects of a low-dose injectable contraceptive combination of dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide and estradiol enanthate

A total of 1,904 women, aged 15-38, used an injectable contraceptive combin ation of 90 mg dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide with 6 mg estradiol enant hate, given once during each menstrual cycle between the 7th and 10th day, and preferably on the 8th day of the cycle, Joy a total of 17,576 cycles. O f these 1,904 women, 1,197 completed 12 cycles of use of the injectable com bination. One subject became pregnant during the trial, resulting in a cumu lative pregnancy rare of 0.07%. Principal reasons for discontinuation were personal, non-medical reasons, such as lost to follow-up, no longer wished to continue, protocol violation, desire to change to another contraceptive method, moved away, or other personal reasons. Mean weight of 1,901 subject s at admission to the trial was 53.5 +/- 0.2 kg and this increased to 54.3 +/- 0.3 kg after 12 cycles of use. Approximately 50% of subjects experience d menstrual bleeding similar to normal throughout the study period. The mos t frequent menstrual abnormality was irregular bleeding, experienced by app roximately one-third of subjects. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.