TY - JOUR
T1 - The state of hormonal contraception today
T2 - Established and emerging noncontraceptive health benefits
AU - Maguire, Karla
AU - Westhoff, Carolyn
PY - 2011/10
Y1 - 2011/10
N2 - In the 50 years since the advent of combined oral contraceptives the amount of estrogen in oral contraceptives dropped from over 100 mcg to less than 30 mcg. Many noncontraceptive health benefits have emerged that decrease mortality and improve quality of life. Some of the immediate benefits include improvement of menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea, reduction in premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms, and decreased acne. As an effective birth control method oral contraceptives also decrease pregnancy-related deaths by preventing pregnancy. After the reproductive years, previous use of oral contraceptives continues to be beneficial, reducing the risk of death from ovarian and endometrial cancer. All these benefits have held up over time whereas cardiovascular risks have lessened because of the decrease in oral contraceptive pill dosage. Decreased ovarian cyst formation is an example of benefit with higher-dose oral contraceptive formulations that no longer holds true with low-dose pills.
AB - In the 50 years since the advent of combined oral contraceptives the amount of estrogen in oral contraceptives dropped from over 100 mcg to less than 30 mcg. Many noncontraceptive health benefits have emerged that decrease mortality and improve quality of life. Some of the immediate benefits include improvement of menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea, reduction in premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms, and decreased acne. As an effective birth control method oral contraceptives also decrease pregnancy-related deaths by preventing pregnancy. After the reproductive years, previous use of oral contraceptives continues to be beneficial, reducing the risk of death from ovarian and endometrial cancer. All these benefits have held up over time whereas cardiovascular risks have lessened because of the decrease in oral contraceptive pill dosage. Decreased ovarian cyst formation is an example of benefit with higher-dose oral contraceptive formulations that no longer holds true with low-dose pills.
KW - menstrual bleeding patterns
KW - noncontraceptive benefits
KW - oral contraceptives
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053361352&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=80053361352&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ajog.2011.06.056
DO - 10.1016/j.ajog.2011.06.056
M3 - Review article
C2 - 21961824
AN - SCOPUS:80053361352
VL - 205
SP - S4
JO - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
JF - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
SN - 0002-9378
IS - 4 SUPPL.
ER -