Continuous Use of COCs

FHI 360362 enrolled

Overview

The primary objective is to determine if continuous COC use leads to higher continuation rates over 12 months of follow up than use of the standard 28-day COC regimen.

Family Health International has recently initiated a USAID funded study to investigate the pregnancy rates, continuation rates, and acceptability of COCs in women taking COCs by the 21/7 cyclic regimen compared with the continuous use of COCs with bleeding-signaled hormone-free intervals. The primary objective is to determine whether continuous COC use leads to higher 12-month continuation rates than use of the standard 28-day COC regimen. Secondary objectives are to 1) compare pregnancy probabilities through 6 and 12 months between the continuous use group and the 28-day group 2) compare COC continuation rates through 6 months between the continuous use group and the 28-day group 3) compare acceptability of the two COC regimens 4) to compare bleeding and other side effects between the continuous use group and the 28-day group 5) to compare hemoglobin/hematocrit between the continuous use group and the 28-day group

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

362

Conditions

Pregnancy Prevention

Interventions

Oral contraceptives--ethinyl estradiol, levonorgestrelDRUG

3 visits - screening/enrollment, 6-months and 12 months

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 30 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18-30 * Currently has menstrual periods every 21-35 days * Willing and able to be randomly assigned to one of the two study groups and to comply with all study requirements * Has signed the informed consent form * Has a negative urine pregnancy test at enrollment Exclusion Criteria: * Has contraindications to COC use (see WHO MEC-3rd edition) * Is in any other research study * Has been pregnant in the past 3 months * Is breastfeeding or has breastfed in the past 3 months * Is currently using an IUD (women who agree to IUD removal are eligible once the IUD is removed) * Has had an injection of DMPA in the past 6 months * Has had an injection of NET-EN in the past 3 months * Has used combined injectables, oral contraceptive pills, implants, or a hormonal IUD in the past 2 months * Has had any of the following conditions since her last pregnancy, or since menarche if never pregnant: * Pelvic infection treated with antibiotics * Diagnosis of infertility * Endometriosis

Locations (2)

PROFAMILIA - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Ens. Luperon, Santo Domingo Province, Dominican Republic

PROFAMILIA - Managua, Nicaragua

Managua, Managua Department, Nicaragua

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

12 month cumulative COC discontinuation probabilities

Time frame: 12 months

Secondary Outcomes

Pregnancy rates through 6 and 12 months; 6 month cumulative discontinuation probabilities; acceptability; bleeding and other side effects; hemoglobin/hematocrit

Time frame: 12 months

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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