Continuous oral contraception does not reduce the number of bleeding days over a 168-day period

Excerpt

Continuous oral contraception does not reduce the number of bleeding days over a 168-day period, compared with traditional cyclical contraception, according to a US study. This study involved 62 women with regular menses who were randomised to receive either continued 4-week cycles of 28 active pills with ethinylestradiol/norethisterone 20µg/1mg or 21 active pills of the same formulation followed by 7 placebo pills. The number of total bleeding days was similar in the group receiving continuous contraception, compared with that receiving cyclical contraception (31.5 vs 35.1 days). However, there was a significant decrease in moderate/heavy bleeding days with continuous contraception (5.2 vs 11.0 days). Continuous contraception also provided greater suppression of the ovary and endometrium. …