| Popis: |
The Indian Contraceptive Testing Unit started making field trials with oral contraceptives in 1964. By June 1968, 958 women were taking oral contraceptives. Combination tablets used contained a minimum amount of progestogen (.5-3 mg) and a suitable amount of estrogen. The 21-tablet pack was found mot suitable. It was found that if a woman missed taking the tablets in the latter half of the cycle usually no harm resulted, but if she missed them at the beginning of the cycle pregnancy might follow as ovulation would not be inhibited. Main contraindications are liver damage, toxic hyperthyroidism, thromboembolic disease, and cancer of the genital tract or breast. Caution is advised for persons with chronic nephritis, a history of eclampsia, hypertension, varicose veins, ophthalmological disorders, or psychic depressive states. Side effects have been less with the smaller doses. The most serious side effect is thromboembolism. Those reported have been leg pain, giddiness, headache, breakthrough bleeding, nausea, vomiting, amenorrhea, abdominal pain, weakness, increased blood pressure, and skin rashes. Others have reported ocular disease and cranial nerve palsy. Sequential therapy has been reported to have a lower incidence of side effects but a higher rate of pregnancy. Low-dose progestogen therapy, the "minipill," does not inhibit ovulation but is effective by causing changes in the endometrium and in the mucus. The chlormadinone in the minipill does not affect lactation. However, the incidence of pregnancy is similar to that with an IUD (Lippes loop) which is 2.6/100 cases. Laboratory tests have been normal, except an increase in the thymol turbidity test. Vaginal cytology has revealed no case of malignancy. Results show that oral contraceptives are suitable for use on a mass scale as a method of population control. |
