CONTRACEPTIVE COMPLIANCE WITH A LEVONORGESTREL TRIPHASIC AND A NORETHINDRONE MONOPHASIC ORAL-CONTRACEPTIVE IN ADOLESCENT PATIENTS

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of two low-dose oral contraceptive pills on compliance and side effects in adolescent patients. STUDY DESIGN: The use of a levonorgestrel-containing triphasic pill (N = 114) was compared with that of a monophasic (1 + 35) norethindrone-containing pill (N = 110) at two different sociodemographic sites. RESULTS: No significant difference in compliance or pill satisfaction was observed between the pills. Socioeconomic factors were the overriding predictors of compliance. At 3 and 12 months of follow-up, there were significantly fewer compliants of overall side effects (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively), breakthrough bleeding (p = 0.017 and p = 0.018), and pill amenorrhea (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001) among users of the triphasic pill. Mean weight change at 12 months was +1.1 kg for the monophasic pill and -0.1 kg for the triphasic pill. All known pregnancies occurred among noncompliant city clinic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents experienced fewer side effects with the triphasic pill than with the monophasic one, but compliance was the same.