Effect of different insertion regimens on side effects with a combination contraceptive vaginal ring

Autor: Maria Lacarra, Theodore M. Jackanicz, Ian S. Fraser, Daniel R. Mishell, Edith Weisberg
Rok vydání: 1997
Předmět:
Zdroj: Contraception. 56(4)
ISSN: 0010-7824
Popis: The study population included 159 women aged 18 to 37 years requiring contraception (60 in Sydney, 99 in Los Angeles). The design consisted of a 6 month study of a contraceptive vaginal ring (CVR) releasing 20 micrograms ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg of norethindrone acetate daily over two successive cycles with a new ring on each of three different insertion regimens. A total of 831 woman-months of exposure were recorded, and 129 women completed the study. The overall incidence of side effects was similar in the two centers and differences between the insertion regimens were not observed. Transient nausea following insertion of a new ring (mainly lasting 0.5 to 48 h) was the most prominent side effect, with no significant difference between the insertion regimens (although the incidence tended to be highest with bedtime insertion [34%] and lowest with early evening insertion and temporary removal during the first night [27%]). Transient vomiting occurred in about 10% of women in the first 24 h after first insertion of a new ring. The incidence and severity of nausea was greatly reduced in cycle 2 with each regimen (6% to 9% of women). Nausea could be prevented by overnight soaking of the ring in water before use. Other side effects such as headache, dizziness, uterine cramps, breakthrough bleeding, weight gain, and ring expulsion occurred with similarly low frequency in all three insertion groups. One pregnancy occurred with probable ovulation between cycles 5 and 6, the only pregnancy recorded to date in studies with this ring. The study demonstrated that this effective and generally well tolerated CVR causes a relatively high incidence of transient nausea after insertion of a new ring, which is probably due to accumulation of ethinyl estradiol on the ring surface during storage. Acceptability is still high, and this particular CVR merits further development.A cross-sectional study involving 60 women from Sydney, Australia, and 99 women from Los Angeles, California (US), evaluated the impact of three different insertion regimens on the transient nausea associated with the contraceptive vaginal ring. The ring released 20 mcg of ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg of norethindrone acetate per day. 128 women completed the 6-month study, providing 831 woman-months of exposure. The one pregnancy recorded during the 6-month study occurred during the 7-day break between cycles 5 and 6. 53% of women experienced nausea in at least one cycle. No significant differences in side effects were noted based on insertion group: 1) early evening (5-7 p.m.); 2) late night (10 p.m. to midnight); and 3) early evening insertion, removal at bedtime, and reinsertion the next morning. In each insertion group, the incidence of nausea was greatly reduced (to 6-9%) in the second cycle of use. 9% of women experienced transient vomiting in the 24 hours after first insertion of a new ring. The remaining side effects--headache, dizziness, uterine cramps, breakthrough bleeding, weight gain, and expulsion--were rare and occurred with equal frequency in all three insertion groups. Women at both study sites expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the vaginal ring, primarily because of its convenience and effectiveness. Overnight soaking of the ring before first use has the potential to reduce the side effect of transient nausea, presumed attributable to the accumulation of ethinyl estradiol on the ring surface during storage.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: