Clinical experience with the progestogen-only pill
Broome, M.; Fotherby, K.
Contraception 42(5): 489-495
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0010-7824 PMID: 2125544 DOI: 10.1016/0010-7824(90)90077-9Document Number: 371539
Experience with the progestogen-only pill (POP) in a family planning clinic is presented. From the clinic records, 408 women were identified who had opted to use a POP. Of these, 50 women had used the POP during lactation and these were excluded from the analysis. The remaining 358 women used the POP for up to 150 months, giving a total of 18,125 women-months of use. Three pregnancies occurred, giving a Pearl Index of 0.2 per 100 women-years. Non-menstrual side effects were minor and were reported by 77 women. For the women who discontinued the POP, the main reason was menstrual irregularity (47.5%). However, despite the long-term use by most of the women, almost 40% maintained a mostly regular menstrual pattern. Our findings suggest that the POP provides a very acceptable method of oral contraception for many women and that it should be more actively promoted.