Contracepción de emergencia con Levonorgestrel / Emergency contraception with levonorgestrel

La contracepción de emergencia puede evitar el embarazo luego de un coito sin medidas contraceptivas o cuando éstas fallan. Se recomienda el levonorgestrel, un gestágeno sintético, en dosis única de 1.5 mg (alternativamente en dos dosis de 0.75 mg espaciadas 12 h). Su eficacia es moderada, pues impide aproximadamente 80% de los embarazos. La eficacia es mayor cuanto más precozmente se administre, pero puede darse hasta 5 días post-coito. La tolerancia es similar o superior a la de otros preparados empleados con igual propósito. Los efectos adversos comprenden náuseas, vómitos, cefalea, tensión mamaria y alteraciones transitorias en la siguiente menstruación. Se desconoce si el levonorgestrel aumenta la probabilidad de embarazo ectópico cuando el tratamiento fracasa. No se recomienda su empleo como contraceptivo habitual. Cuando se administra antes del pico preovulatorio de LH, el levonorgestrel generalmente bloquea o retrasa la ovulación. Puede asimismo afectar la migración de los espermatozoides en el tracto genital femenino e, indirectamente, la fertilización. Pese a haberse postulado reiteradamente, no existe evidencia de un efecto antiimplantatorio. El conocimiento del método es muy variable en diferentes sociedades, pero aun donde es bien conocido permanece subutilizado. Se ha propuesto proveer levonorgestrel por adelantado para promover su uso. En ensayos clínicos, tal provisión no afectó adversamente el comportamiento sexual ni el empleo de otros contraceptivos, pero tampoco redujo el número de embarazos o abortos. En consecuencia, el empleo de levonorgestrel debe considerarse un método de respaldo que no reemplaza el uso de contraceptivos más eficaces.

Emergency contraception may avoid pregnancy after unprotected intercourse or when regular contraceptive measures fail. Levonorgestrel, a synthetic gestagen, is recommended for emergency contraception as a single 1.5-mg dose or, alternatively, two 0.75-mg doses taken 12 h apart. Its efficacy is moderate, preventing about 80% of pregnancies. Efficacy is higher the earlier after unprotected intercourse the drug is taken, but it may be administered up to 5 days post-coitum. Tolerance is similar to, or better than, those of other oral emergency contraceptives. Adverse effects include nausea, vomiting, headache, breast tenderness and transient alteration of menstrual bleeding pattern. It is not known whether levonogestrel increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy when the treatment fails. Its use as an ongoing contraceptive method is discouraged. When given before the preovulatory LH peak, levonorgestrel blocks or delays ovulation. It may also affect sperm migration in the female reproductive tract and have an effect on fertilization. Although it has been often postulated, there is no evidence for an anti-implantatory effect. Acquaintance with the method is quite variable among different societies, but it remains underutilized even where it is well known. Advance provision of the drug has been proposed as a way to promote its use. In clinical trials, advance provision did not adversely modify sexual or regular contraceptive behavior, but it did not reduce pregnancy or abortion rate either. Therefore, emergency contraception with levonorgestrel should be regarded as a backup method which is not a substitute for the continued use of more effective contraceptive methods.

A postmarketing observational study assessing acceptability and reliability of desogestrel only contrapceptive pill (Cerazette) in Indian women.

A postmarketing observational study was carried out in a prospective, open and multi-centric manner monitoring a treatment period of 4 cycles (4 x 28 days) among Indian women of child bearing age to determine the acceptability and reliability of desogestrel (75 microg/day), an oestrogen-free pill. It involved 299 subjects recruited at each of 20 centres spread all over India. The study duration for each subject was 16 weeks with follow-up visits at 4, 8 and 16 weeks intervals. At each follow-up visit, subjects were evaluated for any failure of contraception, change in bleeding pattern and other adverse events. Of the study subjects, 238 (79.6%) continued the study for 4 cycles and were thus considered eligible for analysis of bleeding patterns with no failure of contraception. In addition, the physician's as well as patient's global assessment, demonstrated a "very good" response in majority of subjects (> 84%). A sizeable number of cases (47.9%) had infrequent episodes (1 to 5) of bleeding--spotting during the shifted reference period, while 41.2% experienced amenorrhoea. There was no clinically significant change in blood pressure or body weight. Of the 299 such subjects enrolled, 53 subjects were lost to follow-up and did not come for the 1st follow-up visit. Hence, out of the 246 subjects, 21.1% presented with 78 separate adverse events during 960 treatment cycles. None of the reported adverse events were severe and there was not even a single serious adverse effect during the course of the study. Nausea, breast tenderness and headache (7.7%, 10.1% and 9.7% respectively) were the most frequent adverse events observed during the study. Desogestrel 75 mg/day was well accepted in majority of Indian women. It provides good contraceptive efficacy, with a lower incidence of irregular bleeding and spotting episodes.

Eficácia, tolerabilidade, controle de ciclo e bem-estar em mulheres acima de 35 anos utilizando um contraceptivo de baixa dose contendo gestodeno e etinilestradiol (Harmonet) / Efficacy, tolerability, cycle control and welfare in woman above 35 years using a low dose contraceptive containing gestodene and ethynilestradiol (Harmonet)

Um estudo multicêntrico foi conduzido em 14 centros brasileiros para avaliar a eficácia, tolerabilidade, controle de ciclo e bem-estar em mulheres, não fumantes, acima de 35 anos utilizando um contraceptivo de baixa dose contendo gestodeno e etinilestradiol, durante seis ciclos de tratamento. Participaram do estudo 180 mulheres na faixa etária de 35 a 47 anos, das quais 158 (87,8 por cento) completaram os seis ciclos de tratamento. Nenhuma gravidez ocorreu entre as usuárias do contraceptivo em estudo. Um total de 950 ciclos foi avaliado. Em 92,5 por cento dos ciclos não houve spotting nem sangramento de escape. Ocorreu spotting em 7,2 por cento dos ciclos e sangramento de escape em 0,3 por cento dos ciclos. Com relação ao número de mulheres, 82,2 por cento não apresentaram spotting nem sangramento de escape em nenhum momento do ciclo. Observou-se uma diminuição significativa, indicativa de melhora, com relação ao pré-tratamento, nos escores do questionário de Moos de desconforto menstrual relativos a dor, concentração, mudanças comportamentais, afeto negativo, reações autonômicas, retenção hídrica e controle. Não houve alterações clinicamente significativas de peso, pressão arterial nem resultados laboratoriais. A adesão ao tratamento foi boa, tendo havido esquecimento de tomada de uma ou mais pílulas em apenas 3 por cento do total de ciclos; 12,2 por cento das mulheres não completaram o período de seis ciclos de tratamento, sendo que em 1,1 por cento dos casos a razão para descontinuação foi atribuída a efeitos adversos. Os resultados permitem concluir pela eficácia contraceptiva, bom controle de ciclo, tolerabilidade e bem-estar associados ao uso do contraceptivo de baixa dose contendo gestodeno e etinilestradiol em mulheres acima de 35 anos.

Anticoncepción postaborto / Postpartum anticonception

El embarazo incrementa el riesgo de eventos isquémicos cerebrovasculares. La trombosis del seno longitudinal es muy rara, pero la incidencia aumenta en el embarazo y el puerperio. La mortalidad es de 25 a 50 por ciento, se presenta un caso estudiado y maneja en el Hospital Central Militar. Se presentó durante el décimosegundo día postcesárea; en diagnosticó se corroboró con estudio de Resonancia Magnética Nuclear, se trató a base de heparina y reposo, evaluacionando satisfactoriamente. Lo cual coincide con estudios retrospectivos recientes que sugieren que existe un efecto benéfico con el uso de heparina, disminuyendo drásticamente la mortalidad. Aunque existen investigadores que se oponen por la posibilidad de hemorragia intracraneana

Hormonal requirement for blastocyst implantation and a new approach for anti-implantation strategy.

There is a growing awareness of a need for developing novel methods of contraceptive technology which should not only be effective in providing protection against conception but also take into consideration the reproductive health issues confronting men and women. This paper considers the process of embryo implantation as one such potential target. The hormonal basis of embryo implantation in primates has been discussed to indicate that progesterone, and not estrogen, from ovarian source is the primary determinant of embryo-endometrial maturation and their synchronization for implantation. Thus, low dose administration of the anti-progesterone, mifepristone, during early luteal phase has been shown to be an effective anti-implantation approach to for fertility control. Furthermore, the dissociation of endometrial-hormonal synchrony at the time of blastocyst implantation following the post-ovulatory mifepristone administration has been shown to be the physiological basis of its anti-implantation effect with undisturbed circulatory hormone profiles and ovarian functions. Further studies are required to appreciate the full potential and to mollify the limitations of this approach.