Menstrual blood loss with contraceptive subdermal levonorgestrel implants.

Six Silastic capsules each containing 30 mg of levonorgestrel were inserted subcutaneously in the left forearms of 13 volunteer women for contraceptive purposes. Quantitative determinations of menstrual blood loss were performed during a control cycle and during a 1-month period at the 1st, 6th, and 12th months of treatment. Days on which bleeding and spotting occurred were recorded and hemoglobin concentrations were determined. No changes were found in the amount of menstrual blood loss between the control cycles and the treatment cycles. The mean number of bleeding days during each of the three recorded treatment periods was significantly greater than that in the control cycles. No changes in hemoglobin concentration were found. None of the patients became pregnant during the study.

PIP: 6 silastic capsules, each containing 30 mg of levonorgestrel, were inserted subcutaneously in the left forearms of 13 volunteer women for contraceptive purposes. Quantiative determinations of menstrual blood loss were performed during a control cycle and during a 1-month period at the 1st, 6th, and 12th months of treatment. Days on which bleeding and spotting occurred were recorded and hemoglobin concentrations were determined. No changes were found in the amount of menstrual blood loss between the control cycles and the treatment cycles. The mean number of bleeding days during each of the 3 recorded treatment periods was significantly greater than that in the control cycles. No changes in hemoglobin concentration were found and none of the patients became pregnant during the study.

Three-year experience with NORPLANT subdermal contraception.

NORPLANTTM (Laboratorios Gutfol, S.A., Mexico City, Mexico) subdermal implants containing levonorgestrel were accepted by 816 women in a two-phase study initiated in 1975 and augmented in 1978. Through 3 years of first-segment use, acceptors experienced five pregnancies, a cumulative net rate of 0.7 per 100, and a gross pregnancy rate of 1.1 per 100. First-segment continuation at 3 years was at the rate of 44.6 per 100, an annual average of 76 per 100. NORPLANT users experienced irregular menstruation, with high interindividual variation, but with normal average numbers of bleeding days and of bleeding episodes. Hemoglobin levels increased moderately during implant use. The incidence of systolic blood pressure readings above 145 mm Hg or diastolic readings above 95 mm Hg was similar to that observed among users of the TCu 200 intrauterine device enrolled under the same selection criteria in the same clinics between the two phases of the NORPLANT study. Comparative data on pregnancy and other rates are also given for these intrauterine device acceptors.

Transdermal oestrogen replacement therapy in a Finnish population.

In an open, multicentre study, transdermal administration of oestradiol (E2) by means of skin patches was investigated in a Finnish patient population suffering from typical post-menopausal symptoms. A total of 249 women applied a patch twice weekly for 6 months. Whereas 85% of the subjects were experiencing hot flushes and 83.5% sweating before therapy, only 5.7% and 11.8%, respectively, reported these symptoms at the end of the trial. Furthermore, 97.6%, 95.7% and 94.8% of the subjects reported that depression, headache and sleep disturbances, respectively, had disappeared during therapy. Skin irritation occurred in 18.2% of these predominantly fair-skinned women. Frequent sauna bathing did not interfere with the patch therapy. General acceptance of the treatment was excellent, 84.8% of the patients completing the treatment, of whom 78% were willing to continue the treatment after the trial. These results show that transdermal administration of E2 is effective in relieving post-menopausal symptoms. Local tolerability was good and the majority of the patients considered the transdermal treatment to be superior to their previous oral replacement therapy.

Long-term experience with Norplant contraceptive implants in Finland.

Silastic implants containing the progestin, levonorgestrel, were tested as a long-term contraceptive system in 124 women. During five years of use no accidental pregnancy occurred. The first year continuation rate was 90% and the five-year continuation rate was 54%, including terminations for wish to become pregnant. The medically relevant continuation rate was 68% after five years. Menstrual irregularities were the most frequent reason for termination, but only in the first two years. 70% of the terminations for that reason occurred during the first two years. Terminations for other steroid-related reasons were infrequent. The follow-up will continue up to the end of the seventh year. Seven of seventeen women who requested removal of the implants because they wanted to become pregnant conceived during the first two cycles and only three were not pregnant one year after removal.

Effects of an anabolic steroid (metandienone) on spermatogenesis.

PIP: The effect of the oral administration of metandienone (15 mg/day), an anabolic steroid, on spermatogenesis was studied in 15 male athletes. The sperm density per ml decreased 46% after 1 month of use and 73% after 2 months: the latter value being highly pathologic. 3 subjects became azoospermic, 1 of whom had only 1 million sperms/ml. The percentage of motile sperms decreased to about 30% after 2 months of use. The percentage of normally configured sperms decreased from 73 to 65% after 1 month and to 42% after 2 months. There was about a 100% increase in the percentage of sperms with amorphous heads after 2 months of use. There were also marked increases in the frequency of other sperm abnormalities. After 2 months of use, semen acid phosphatase activity was markedly reduced, while semen fructose concentrations were markedly changed after 1 month. The observed changes were reversed after discontinuation of use.^ieng

Cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol values in women during use of subdermal implants releasing levonorgestrel.

Plasma concentrations of cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and levonorgestrel were determined in two groups of women using levonorgestrel-releasing subdermal implants. One group used six capsules (NORPLANT)*; the other six covered rods. Plasma concentrations of levonorgestrel among NORPLANT users averaged 700 pg/ml in the first two weeks of use, decreased to 300 pg/ml at 8 weeks, and to about 230 pg/ml by 50 weeks. Concentrations among covered rod users were 1.4 to 1.7 times higher at comparable time periods. Total serum cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were decreased as compared with controls at all sampling intervals during the 114 weeks of the trial, although the differences did not meet tests of significance at all time periods. Decreases during the test period were of the order of 10 percent, except for total cholesterol among covered rod users where the decrease was less. Cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratios did not differ significantly from control values at any sampling period.

Effective contraception with the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device: 12-month report of a European multicenter study.

The use-effectiveness of an intrauterine contraceptive device releasing 20 mcg of levonorgestrel daily (Lng-IUD), and of a Nova T copper-releasing IUD, were studied in a randomized, comparative multicenter trial. The Lng-IUD was inserted in 1821, and the Nova T in 937 women. The 12-month net pregnancy rate with the Lng-IUD (0.1 per hundred women) was significantly lower than that with the Nova T (0.9 per hundred). Removal rates for menstrual problems and/or pain were similar for the two methods (net rates 7.5 and 8.7, respectively). The 12-month continuation rates were 82.2 for the Nova T and 79.7 for the Lng-IUD. The reduction of the bleeding led to oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea in users of the Lng-IUD; the removal rate for these reasons was 1.4. The removal rate for hormonal side effects with the Lng-IUD was 2.4. Blood hemoglobin concentrations increased among users of the Lng-IUD and decreased among users of the Nova T. The results show that the Lng-IUD was a highly effective contraceptive method which reduced menstrual bleeding. It is a promising alternative for women desiring a highly effective method for long-term use.

PIP: The use-effectiveness of an intrauterine contraceptive device releasing 20 mcg of levon ISZ orgestrel daily (Lng-IUD), and of a Nova T copper-releasing IUD, were studied in a randomized comparative mulicenter trial. The Lng-IUD was inserted in 1821, and the Nova T in 937 women. The 12-month net pregnancy rate with the Lng-IUD (0.1/100 women) was significantly lower than that with the Nova T (0.9/100). Removal rates for menstrual problems and/or pain were similar for the 2 methods (net rates 7.5 and 8.7 respectively). The 12-moth continuation rates were 82.2 for the Nova T and 79.7 for the Lng-IUD. The reduction of the bleeding led to oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea in users of the Lng-IUD; the removal rate for these reasons was 1.4. The removal rate for hormonal side effects with the Lng-IUD was 2.4. Blood hemoglobin concentrations increased among users of the Lng-IUD and decreased among users of the Nova T. The results show that the Lng-IUD was highly effective contraceptive method which reduced menstrual bleeding. It it a promising alternative for women desiring a highly-effective method for long-term use.

Contraception with long-acting subdermal implants. A five-year clinical trial with Silastic covered rod implants containing levonorgestrel. The International Committee for Contraception Research (ICCR) of the Population Council.

A total of 189 women volunteered to accept subdermal implants for contraception. The implants were "covered rods", consisting of a core rod containing equal parts by weight of levonorgestrel and polydimethylsiloxane and sealed inside a thin-walled tube of Silastic tubing with medical adhesive. In one study 78 women used 4 3cm rods (study 07) and in the other 111 women used 6 3cm rods. In 5 years of use there were no pregnancies in either group. Terminations because of menstrual problems were twice as frequent among the 4-rod users than among users of the 6 rods. Menstrual pattern analysis is presented for the two rod regimens and compared with the previously reported patterns for the 6-capsule regimen (NORPLANT). Long--term in vivo release rates are also presented.

Prolonged effectiveness of Norplant(R) capsule implants: a 7-year study.

Soft tubing Norplant(R) contraceptive implants were studied in 1210 women for 7 years to measure the duration of effectiveness and the magnitude of the pregnancy rates over that time. Mean age at enrollment was 27.4 years. Of the enrollees, 42% were US residents. One-sixth (16.1%) weighed >/=70 kg at the time of implant placement. At the end of 5 years, the cumulative pregnancy rate was 1.1/100; at the end of 7 years, it was 1.9/100. No pregnancies occurred to any of the 400 women who enrolled in the study at age >/=30 years and who weighed <100 kg. Among women aged 18-33 years, the 7-year Norplant pregnancy rates are comparable to the median pregnancy rates of tubal sterilization methods for women of the same age and duration of use. For women aged >/=34 years, without regard to weight at admission, the 7-year effectiveness of soft tubing Norplant equals or surpasses that of tubal sterilization. For continuing implant users, annual pregnancy rates <1.0/100 in years 6 and 7, together with low cumulative pregnancy rates, testify that Norplant capsule implants remain highly effective for 7 years.

Clinical performance of a new two-rod levonorgestrel contraceptive implant: a three-year randomized study with Norplant implants as controls.

In a randomized three-year clinical trial at seven clinics, the performance of levonorgestrel rod (LNG ROD) implants used by 600 women was compared with that of soft tubing NORPLANT implants used by 598 women. No pregnancies occurred in either group of women and, accordingly, body weight did not affect the efficacy of either type of implant. There were neither statistically significant nor important differences in termination rates for any reason over the three years. Complaint and illness rates during use of either of the two implant types were statistically indistinguishable and were attributable to the same set of conditions. Seventy-one per 100 of the women using each implant regimen continued to the three-year point, for an average annual continuation rate of 89 per 100. Removals of LNG ROD implants were accomplished in about half the time required for removal of Norplant capsule implants (p < 0.001).

Norplant consensus statement and background review.

This review has highlighted the attributes of a very important new method of contraception. The signatories to this document agree that, with the provision of appropriate information and instruction for the user, Norplant is a good contraceptive choice to be made available worldwide in family planning programs that have the resources for appropriate training and counseling. The signatories to this document are acting in their own personal capacity and not as representatives of any particular organization.

PIP: The Norplant contraceptive implant has been registered in 60 countries and used by over 6 million women worldwide. Clinical studies have repeatedly confirmed this method's long-term efficacy and safety when used appropriately. Preliminary findings of the Post-Marketing Surveillance study of Norplant, a 5-year prospective study conducted in 32 family planning clinics in 8 developing countries in 1987-97, indicate an intrauterine pregnancy rate of 0.23/100 woman-years, an ectopic pregnancy rate of 0.03/100 woman-years, and a 67.3% continuation rate at 5 years. No significant excess of malignant neoplastic or cardiovascular disease has been observed. The major side effect is an irregular pattern of uterine bleeding, associated with about 25% of the discontinuations after 5 years of use. The quality of the family planning service is a major determinant of successful Norplant use and the degree of user satisfaction. Informed choice, the quality of follow-up care, easy access to removal services, and provider skills and attitudes are also critical. The signatories to this Consensus Statement (acting as individuals rather than representatives of their organizations) agree that, with the provision of appropriate information to users, Norplant is a good contraceptive choice that should be made available globally in all family planning programs with resources for appropriate training and counseling.

Vaginal progesterone after tubal pregnancy.

We studied the effect of vaginal progesterone (P) treatment during the luteal phase of patients who had had a tubal pregnancy (TP) and were planning another, in a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial. The outpatient clinics of two University hospitals and three central hospitals had 135 patients treated for tubal pregnancy: 100 with grossly normal fallopian tubes (supposing an accidentally abnormal luteal phase as a possible etiology of their first TP) and 35 with signs of earlier pelvic inflammatory disease (PID etiology). They were treated with vaginal P (25 mg b.i.d.) or placebo during cycle days 16-24, for 10 months. Serum P levels after a single vaginal or oral dose were compared. The rates of conception, delivery, spontaneous abortion and recurrent TP were recorded, and fetal and placental weight measured. Both vaginal and oral formulas of P provoked a physiological (24-43 nmol/l) rise in serum concentrations. P and placebo-treated cycles resulted in a nearly equal number of pregnancies (33/37 resp.). Of the 55 infants born 53 were to mothers without signs of earlier PID (53/100); only 2 (2/35) to mothers in whom signs had been present. Recurrent TP occurred in 9% of all pregnancies. Four out of six recurrent TPs were patients with signs of PID (4/35), but two were without such signs (2/100): one occurred during placebo and one during P-treated cycle. Prophylactic P treatment of patients at risk of recurrent TP does not improve fertility or prevent recurrent TP. This indicates, that the functional etiology of recurrent TP, as compared to infection, is not important.

Serum lipids and proteins during treatment with a new oral contraceptive combination containing desogestrel.

The present study was carried out to measure lipid and protein levels in serum of healthy women during treatment with a new oral contraceptive combination containing 0.075 mg desogestrel (Org 2969, 17 alpha-ethinyl-18-methyl-11-methylene-4-estren-17-ol) plus 0.050 mg ethinyloestradiol per tablet. All 30 volunteers took 1 tablet daily for 21 consecutive days, followed by a tablet-free period of 7 days. Treatment lasted 3 months. At the end of treatment serum total cholesterol had increased by 0.26 mmol/l (5.0%), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol by 0.22 mmol/l (15.2%) and triglycerides by 0.43 mmol/l (50%); the calculated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol had decreased by 0.16 mmol/l (4.9%). All lipid concentrations had returned to initial levels 2 months after treatment stopped. After 3 months treatment serum ceruloplasmin, cortisol-binding globulin capacity, sex-hormone-binding globulin capacity and thyroxine-binding globulin had significantly increased by 85.2, 133, 206 and 101%, respectively. All protein levels returned to normal 2 months after treatment stopped. The relationship between serum lipids and hormone-binding proteins has been discussed, as well as the significance of the high-density lipoprotein level with regard to contraceptive treatment.

[Subcutaneous hormone capsules]. / Ihonalaiset hormonikapselit.

PIP: Contraceptive implants containing progestin have been marketed in Finland since 1984. The method utilizes 6 silicon capsules of 36 mg levonorgestrel that are implanted inside the upper arm under local anesthesia. Each capsule is 34 mm long and 2.5 mm wide. The capsules release 100 mcg levonorgestrel a day during the 1st 3 months, after which dosage decreases to a level of 30-35 mcg a day within 15 months. The rate of release remains the same for a period of up to 6.5 years. Some users experience no ovulation or an incomplete luteal phase. The level of estradiol varies, although FSH, LH and androgen levels do no essentially change. Cholesterol ratios remain unchanged, but the levels decrease somewhat. Blood coagulation problems due to menstrual problems, primarily frequent, irregular bleeding and spotting. Side effects such as headaches, weight gain, mood changes can be caused by the capsule, as well as the contraceptive pill. During implantation and removal there is a small (0.3) risk of infection. Teratogenic and mutagenic effects are unlikely. Studies have shown no pregnancies occurring in the 1st 2 years of use. The 3rd year, the cumulative rate has been shown to be 0.3, and for the 4th year 0.7. To a great extent, contraceptive implants are utilized by women who have had bad experiences with other methods, and who already have the desired number of children. This method offers much promise to those women in developing countries, and has been proven to be well tolerated there.^ieng

Effect of an anabolic steroid (metandienone) on central and peripheral blood flow in well-trained male athletes.

Several haemodynamic variables were measured in sixteen well-trained athletes at rest and during muscular exercise before and after two months of a daily oral dose of 15 mg of metandienone, an anabolic steroid (17alpha-methyl-17beta-hydroxy-1,4-androstadien-3-one). Their training programmes were the same as they had been for at least three years before the study. During metandienone treatment the total blood volume increased by about 15%, and the heart rate decreased significantly both at rest and during exercise. The resting values of cardiac index and stroke index did not differ significantly, while during muscular exercise cardiac index showed a tendency to increase, and stroke index increased by 20% during the treatment period. When treatment was discontinued, the haemodynamic values returned to pre-medication levels, and when a repetition of the treatment was carried out, exactly the same changes were seen. The resting forearm blood flow did not differ significantly during the treatment, while the peak flow during post-ischaemic hyperaemia increased by 27%. The pulmonary blood volume, peripheral resistance and mean arterial pressure did not differ significantly after metandienone treatment. The mean body weight increased significantly during the treatment period.

Effect of an anabolic steroid (metandienon) on plasma LH-FSH, and testosterone and on the response to intravenous administration of LRH.

Plasma levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as well as the response of LH and FSH to the intravenous administration of 100 mug of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LRH) were measured in 16 well-trained athletes (mean age 30 years) before and after 2 months of daily oral intake of 15 mg of metandienon, and anabolic steroid (Anabolin, 17 alpha-methyl-17beta-hydroxy-1,4-androstadien-3-one, Medica, Finland). All athletes continued to train regularly, just as they had done for several years. During administration of metandienon the mean plasma testosterone level fell 69%, from 29.4 +/- 11.6 nmol/1 to 9.1 +/- 7.5 nmol/1. The mean plasma levels of LH and FSH also fell significantly (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.01, respectively), both about 50%. Because LH and FSH levels were low after administration of the steroid the maximum stimulation values after LRH administration were also lower than pre-treatment values although the mean increments did not differ significantly before and after administration of the anabolic steroid. However, after treatment, the FSH response curve had a biphasic pattern in most subjects, with peaks at 10 to 20 and 50 to 60 min after the iv injection of LRH. Administration of LRH after the treatment period had no effect on FSH secretion in two subjects and no effect on LH secretion in one. Our results show that administration of an anabolic steroid causes a pronounced lowering of plasma levels of testosterone, LH and FSH but causes no gross alteration in the response of LH secretion to stimulation by LRH. The reason for the biphasic response pattern of FSH to LRH administration in most subjects is not known.

Haemodynamic effects produced by insufflation of carbon dioxide into the abdominal cavity during laparoscopy.

Nine healthy women underwent diagnostic laparoscopy during balanced anaesthesia without halothane. Heart rate, blood pressure and cardiac output were measured before and after insufflation of carbon dioxide in to the abdominal cavity. The cardiac output was measured by a bedside radiocardiographic apparatus using 113Indium as a tracer. There was remarkable stability of the cardiovascular system during laparoscopy with only slight rise in blood pressure.