Ovulation And Follicular Development Associated With 3 Low-Dose Oral-Contraceptives - A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To address the hypothesis that multiphasic oral contraceptives (OCs) increase rather than decrease the risk of functional ovarian cysts. Methods: In this single-center, randomized controlled study, women were assigned to a multiphasic pill, a lower-dose monophasic pill, a higher-dose monophasic pill, or nonsteroidal contraception. Forty volunteers were randomized (ten each) to three different pill regimens or to nonsteroidal contraception. During 6 months of treatment, follicular development was measured by vaginal ultrasonography and ovulation was indicated by serum progesterone levels. Results: The relative risk (RR) of developing a follicular structure greater than 30 mm in diameter during a cycle with the higher-dose monophasic pill was 0.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.1-1.9; P=.49) compared with the multiphasic pill. The risk with the lower-dose monophasic pill was comparable to that with the multiphasic pill (RR 1.3, 95% CI 0.5-3.6; P=.56). With the multiphasic pill, the maximum ovulation rate over 60 cycles was 1.7 per 100 cycles (95% CI 0.0-8.9). Conclusion: This multiphasic pill more closely resembled the lower-dose monophasic pill than the higher-dose monophasic pill in its suppression of follicular development. (Obstet Gynecol 1994;83:29-34)