Oral contraceptives are indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use this product as a method of contraception. Oral contraceptive products which contain 50 mcg of estrogen, should not be used unless medically indicated. Oral contraceptives are highly effective. Table I lists the typical accidental pregnancy rates for users of combination oral contraceptives and other methods of contraception. 1 The efficacy of these contraceptive methods, except sterilization, depends upon the reliability with which they are used.
Correct and consistent use of methods can result in lower failure rates. TABLE I: PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN EXPERIENCING AN UNINTENDED PREGNANCY DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF TYPICAL USE AND THE FIRST YEAR OF PERFECT USE OF CONTRACEPTION AND THE PERCENTAGE CONTINUING USE AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR. UNITED STATES. % of Women Experiencing an Unintended Pregnancy within the First Year of Use % of Women Continuing Use at One Year 3 Method (1) Typical Use 1 (2) Perfect Use 2 (3) (4) Chance 4 85 85 Spermicides 5 26 6 40 Periodic abstinence 25 63 Calendar 9 Ovulation method 3 Sympto-thermal 6 2 Post-ovulation 1 Withdrawal 19 4 Cap 7 Parous women 40 26 42 Nulliparous women 20 9 56 Sponge Parous women 40 20 42 Nulliparous women 20 9 56 Diaphragm 7 20 6 56 Condom 8 Female (Reality) 21 5 56 Male 14 3 61 Pill 5 71 Progestin only
0.5 Combined
0.1 IUD Progesterone T 2 1.5 81 Copper T 380A 0.8 0.6 78 LNg 20 0.1 0.1 81 Depo-Provera 0.3 0.3 70 Norplant and Norplant-2 0.05 0.05 88 Female sterilization 0.5 0.5 100 Male sterilization 0.15 0.10 100 Emergency Contraceptive Pills: Treatment initiated within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse reduces the risk of pregnancy by at least 75%. 9 Lactational Amenorrhea Method: LAM is a highly effective, temporary method of contraception. 10 Source: Trussell J.
Contraceptive Efficacy Table from Hatcher R.A., Trussell J, Stewart F, Cates W, Stewart GK, Kowal D, Guest F, in Contraceptive Technology: Seventeenth Revised Edition. New York, NY: Irvington Publishers, 1998. Among typical couples who initiate use of a method (not necessarily for the first time), the percentage who experience an accidental pregnancy during the first year if they do not stop use for any other reason.
Among couples who initiate use of a method (not necessarily for the first time) and who use it perfectly (both consistently and correctly), the percentage who experience an accidental pregnancy during the first year if they do not stop use for any other reason. Among couples attempting to avoid pregnancy, the percentage who continue to use a method for one year. The percents becoming pregnant in columns (2) and (3) are based on data from populations where contraception is not used and from women who cease using contraception in order to become pregnant.
Among such populations, about 89% become pregnant within one year. This estimate was lowered slightly (to 85%) to represent the percent who would become pregnant within one year among women now relying on reversible methods of contraception if they abandoned contraception altogether. Foams, creams, gels, vaginal suppositories, and vaginal film. Cervical mucus (ovulation) method supplemented by calendar in the pre-ovulatory and basal body temperature in the post-ovulatory phases.
With spermicidal cream or jelly. Without spermicides. The treatment schedule is one dose within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse and a second dose 12 hours after the first dose. The Food and Drug Administration has declared the following brands of oral contraceptives to be safe and effective for emergency contraception: Ovral (1 dose is 2 white pills), Alesse (1 dose is 5 pink pills), Nordette or Levlen (1 dose is 2 light-orange pills), Lo/Ovral (1 dose is 4 white pills), Triphasil or Tri-Levlen (1 dose is 4 yellow pills).
However, to maintain effective protection against pregnancy, another method of contraception must be used as soon as menstruation resumes, the frequency or duration of breastfeeds is reduced, bottle feeds are introduced, or the baby reaches six months of age.
Contraindications
Oral contraceptives should not be used in women who have the following conditions: Thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders A past history of deep vein thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disorders Cerebral vascular or coronary artery disease Current diagnosis of, or history of, breast cancer, which may be hormone-sensitive Undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding Cholestatic jaundice of pregnancy or jaundice with prior pill use Hepatic adenomas, carcinomas or benign liver tumors Known or suspected pregnancy Are receiving Hepatitis C drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, due to potential for ALT elevations (see WARNINGS , Risk of Liver Enzyme Elevations with Concomitant Hepatitis C Treatment ).
Warnings and precautions
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from oral contraceptive use. This risk increases with age and with heavy smoking (15 or more cigarettes per day) and is quite marked in women over 35 years of age. Women who use oral contraceptives should be strongly advised not to smoke. The use of oral contraceptives is associated with increased risks of several serious conditions including myocardial infarction, thromboembolism, stroke, hepatic neoplasia, and gallbladder disease, although the risk of serious morbidity or mortality is very small in healthy women without underlying risk factors.
The risk of morbidity and mortality increases significantly in the presence of other underlying risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemias, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and diabetes. 2-5 Practitioners prescribing oral contraceptives should be familiar with the following information relating to these risks. The information contained in this package insert is principally based on studies carried out in patients who used oral contraceptives with higher formulations of both estrogens and progestogens than those in common use today. 6-11 The effect of long-term use of the oral contraceptives with lower formulations of both estrogens and progestogens remains to be determined.
Throughout this labeling, epidemiological studies reported are of two types: retrospective or case control studies and prospective or cohort studies. Case control studies provide a measure of the relative risk of a disease. Relative risk, the ratio of the incidence of a disease among oral contraceptive users to that among non-users, cannot be assessed directly from case control studies, but the odds ratio obtained is a measure of relative risk.
The relative risk does not provide information on the actual clinical occurrence of a disease. Cohort studies provide not only a measure of the relative risk but a measure of attributable risk, which is the difference in the incidence of disease between oral contraceptive users and non-users. The attributable risk does provide information about the actual occurrence of a disease in the population (adapted from ref. 12 and 13 with the author’s permission).
For further information, the reader is referred to a text on epidemiological methods. 1. Thromboembolic Disorders and Other Vascular Problems a. Myocardial Infarction An increased risk of myocardial infarction has been attributed to oral contraceptive use. This risk is primarily in smokers or women with other underlying risk factors for coronary artery disease such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, morbid obesity and diabetes. 2-5, 13 The relative risk of heart attack for current oral contraceptive users has been estimated to be 2 to 6. 2, 14-19 The risk is very low under the age of 30.
However, there is the possibility of a risk of cardiovascular disease even in very young women who take oral contraceptives. Smoking in combination with oral contraceptive use has been shown to contribute substantially to the incidence of myocardial infarctions in women in their mid-thirties or older, with smoking accounting for the majority of excess cases. 20 Mortality rates associated with circulatory disease have been shown to increase substantially in smokers over the age of 35 and non-smokers over the age of 40 among women who use oral contraceptives (see Table II). 16 Adapted from P.M.
Layde and V. Beral, Table V 16 Oral contraceptives may compound the effects of well-known risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemias, hypercholesterolemia, age and obesity. 3, 13, 21 In particular, some progestogens are known to decrease HDL cholesterol and cause glucose intolerance, while estrogens may create a state of hyperinsulinism. 21-25 Oral contraceptives have been shown to increase blood pressure among users (see WARNINGS, Elevated Blood Pressure ).
Similar effects on risk factors have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Oral contraceptives must be used with caution in women with cardiovascular disease risk factors. Table II b. Thromboembolism An increased risk of thromboembolic and thrombotic disease associated with the use of oral contraceptives is well established. Case control studies have found the relative risk of users compared to non-users to be 3 for the first episode of superficial venous thrombosis, 4 to 11 for deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, and 1.5 to 6 for women with predisposing conditions for venous thromboembolic disease. 12, 13, 26-31 Cohort studies have shown the relative risk to be somewhat lower, about 3 for new cases and about 4.5 for new cases requiring hospitalization. 32 The risk of thromboembolic disease due to oral contraceptives is not related to length of use and disappears after pill use is stopped. 12 A 2- to 6-fold increase in relative risk of post-operative thromboembolic complications has been reported with the use of oral contraceptives.
The relative risk of venous thrombosis in women who have predisposing conditions is twice that of women without such medical conditions. 83 If feasible, oral contraceptives should be discontinued at least 4 weeks prior to and for 2 weeks after elective surgery and during and following prolonged immobilization. Since the immediate postpartum period also is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism, oral contraceptives should be started no earlier than 4 to 6 weeks after delivery in women who elect not to breast feed. 33 c.
Cerebrovascular Diseases An increase in both the relative and attributable risks of cerebrovascular events (thrombotic and hemorrhagic strokes) has been shown in users of oral contraceptives. In general, the risk is greatest among older (>35 years), hypertensive women who also smoke. Hypertension was found to be a risk factor for both users and non-users for both types of strokes while smoking interacted to increase the risk for hemorrhagic strokes. 34 In a large study, the relative risk of thrombotic strokes has been shown to range from 3 for normotensive users to 14 for users with severe hypertension. 35 The relative risk of hemorrhagic stroke is reported to be 1.2 for non-smokers who used oral contraceptives, 2.6 for smokers who did not use oral contraceptives, 7.6 for smokers who used oral contraceptives, 1.8 for normotensive users and 25.7 for users with severe hypertension. 35 The attributable risk also is greater in women in their mid-thirties or older and among smokers. 13 d.
Dose-Related Risk of Vascular Disease from Oral Contraceptives A positive association has been observed between the amount of estrogen and progestogen in oral contraceptives and the risk of vascular disease. 36-38 A decline in serum high density lipoproteins (HDL) has been reported with many progestational agents. 22-24 A decline in serum high density lipoproteins has been associated with an increased incidence of ischemic heart disease. 39 Because estrogens increase HDL cholesterol, the net effect of an oral contraceptive depends on a balance achieved between doses of estrogen and progestogen and the nature and absolute amount of progestogens used in the contraceptives.
The amount of both hormones should be considered in the choice of an oral contraceptive. 37 Minimizing exposure to estrogen and progestogen is in keeping with good principles of therapeutics. For any particular estrogen/progestogen combination, the dosage regimen prescribed should be one which contains the least amount of estrogen and progestogen that is compatible with a low failure rate and the needs of the individual patient.
New acceptors of oral contraceptive agents should be started on preparations containing the lowest estrogen content that produces satisfactory results for the individual. Products containing 50 mcg estrogen should be used only when medically indicated. e. Persistence of Risk of Vascular Disease There are three studies which have shown persistence of risk o
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Interactions
7. Drug Interactions Reduced efficacy and increased incidence of breakthrough bleeding and menstrual irregularities have been associated with concomitant use of rifampin. A similar association though less marked, has been suggested with barbiturates, phenylbutazone, phenytoin sodium, and possibly with griseofulvin, ampicillin and tetracyclines. 76 Concomitant Use with HCV Combination Therapy – Liver Enzyme Elevation Do not coadminister Aranelle ® with HCV drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, due to potential for ALT elevations (see WARNINGS, Risk of Liver Enzyme Elevations with Concomitant Hepatitis C Treatment ).
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
10. Pregnancy See CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS sections.
Adverse reactions
Post Marketing Experience Five studies that compared breast cancer risk between ever-users (current or past use) of COCs and never-users of COCs reported no association between ever use of COCs and breast cancer risk, with effect estimates ranging from 0.90 to 1.12 (Figure 1). Three studies compared breast cancer risk between current or recent COC users (<6 months since last use) and never users of COCs (Figure 1). One of these studies reported no association between breast cancer risk and COC use.
The other two studies found an increased relative risk of 1.19 to 1.33 with current or recent use. Both of these studies found an increased risk of breast cancer with current use of longer duration, with relative risks ranging from 1.03 with less than one year of COC use to approximately 1.4 with more than 8 to 10 years of COC use. Figure 1. Relevant Studies of Risk of Breast Cancer with Combined Oral Contraceptives RR = relative risk; OR = odds ratio; HR = hazard ratio. “ever COC” are females with current or past COC use; “never COC use” are females that never used COCs.
An increased risk of the following serious adverse reactions has been associated with the use of oral contraceptives (see WARNINGS section): Thrombophlebitis Arterial thromboembolism Pulmonary embolism Myocardial infarction Cerebral hemorrhage Cerebral thrombosis Hypertension Gallbladder disease Hepatic adenomas, carcinomas or benign liver tumors There is evidence of an association between the following conditions and the use of oral contraceptives, although additional confirmatory studies are needed: Mesenteric thrombosis Retinal thrombosis The following adverse reactions have been reported in patients receiving oral contraceptives and are believed to be drug-related: Nausea Vomiting Gastrointestinal symptoms (such as abdominal cramps and bloating) Breakthrough bleeding Spotting Change in menstrual flow Amenorrhea Temporary infertility after discontinuation of treatment Edema Melasma which may persist Breast changes: tenderness, enlargement, secretion Change in weight (increase or decrease) Change in cervical erosion and secretion Diminution in lactation when given immediately postpartum Cholestatic jaundice Migraine Rash (allergic) Mental depression Reduced tolerance to carbohydrates Vaginal candidiasis Change in corneal curvature (steepening) Intolerance to contact lenses The following adverse reactions have been reported in users of oral contraceptives and the association has been neither confirmed nor refuted: Pre-menstrual syndrome Cataracts Changes in appetite Cystitis-like syndrome Headache Nervousness Dizziness Hirsutism Loss of scalp hair Erythema multiforme Erythema nodosum Hemorrhagic eruption Vaginitis Porphyria Impaired renal function Hemolytic uremic syndrome Budd-Chiari syndrome Acne Changes in libido Colitis figure 1
Prognia shows this product information for reference and learning. It is not treatment advice and can lag behind the official text. Always check the current product information and local protocols before prescribing.
