The influence of type of information, somatization, and locus of control on attitude, knowledge, and compliance with respect to the triphasic oral contraceptive Tri-Minulet.

The possibility of improving attitude, knowledge, and compliance with respect to the oral contraceptive (OC) Tri-Minulet (Wyeth, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands) by supplying brochures and information on audiotape was studied in 1239 healthy women, aged between 15 and 45. One group was orally informed, a second group additionally received brochures, and a third group received, in addition to the above two, information on audiotape. At baseline and after the first and third cycle, OC-attitude, missed pill handling, and compliance were assessed. Somatization and locus of control were also assessed. Knowledge of the medical advantages of the pill was increased by the audiotape and the compliance by the combination of brochures and audiotape. The brochures alone and in combination with tape improved the knowledge of how to handle missed pills. In somatizers and externals, who particularly showed a poor knowledge and a negative pill-attitude, this knowledge was increased by the combination of brochures and tape.

PIP: Oral contraceptives (OCs) are the most widely used method of preventing unintended pregnancy, with an estimated 8% of all married women of reproductive age worldwide using them. The authors explored the possibility of improving attitude, knowledge, and compliance with the Tri-Minulet oral contraceptive by supplying brochures and information on audiotape. 1239 healthy women aged 15-45 years visiting their physician to start with or switch to an OC participated in the study. One group of women was orally informed, a second group additionally received brochures, and a third group received oral information, brochures, and information on audiotape. Knowledge of the medical advantages of the oral pill was increased by the audiotape, while compliance was increased by the combination of brochures and audiotape. The brochures alone and in combination with the audiotape improved the level of knowledge on how to deal with missed pills. In somatizers and externals, who demonstrated especially poor knowledge and a negative attitude toward the pill, the level of knowledge was increased by the combination of brochures and tape.

The acceptance of a 7-week cycle with a modern low-dose oral contraceptive (Minulet).

Cycle control and tolerance were studied in a group of 55 female volunteers, who took during 42 consecutive days a modern low-dose oral contraceptive: gestodene 75 micrograms/ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms (Minulet). During these 42 days, 96% of the women experienced no breakthrough bleeding and 81% of the women experienced no spotting or breakthrough bleeding. When the findings of this study are compared with the findings of an earlier study with also a seven-week cycle but with other oral contraceptives, it can be concluded that Minulet offered an excellent cycle control.

PIP: 55 women took the combined oral contraceptive Minulet (30 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 75 mcg gestodene) for 42 consecutive days, using 2 active pill strips, to lengthen the interval between withdrawal bleeding and assess acceptability. The study was an open multi-center trial in which 38 general practitioners each supervised 1 or 2 women. The women averaged 27 years old (range 18-40), and had used Minulet without problems for the previous 6 months. 10 women noted spotting, and 2 had breakthrough bleeding, both after Day 21 of pill intake. There was 1 dropout for unrelated medical reasons. Other minor side effects were breast tenderness (7%), nausea (4%), abdominal bloating (4%), headache (2%), and dysmenorrhea (2%). 92% of the women reported extreme to moderate satisfaction, but 4% were not satisfied because of breakthrough bleeding. Nevertheless, these data on breakthrough bleeding were much lower than published data from trials with other combined pills, especially those containing levonorgestrel.