Randomized controlled study: low-dose OC relieves pain, dysmenorrhea in adolescents.(News)

PHILADELPHIA -- A low-dose oral contraceptive was effective for relieving dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls in a controlled study with 76 patients.

"This is the first randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a modern, low-dose oral contraceptive for dysmenorrhea in adolescent girls," Dr. Katharine J. O'Connell said while presenting a poster at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The results were expected, but it's good to get data to back up the anticipated effect, added Dr. O'Connell of Columbia University in New York.

The study used a standard low-dose formulation. Each daily pill contained 20 [micro]g ethinyl estradiol and 100 [micro]g levonorgestrel, the formulation that is marketed as Alesse by Wyeth. Both the active medication and matching placebo pills were supplied for the study by Wyeth.

Dysmenorrhea is a common problem among teenage girls and causes severe pain in 15%. The study enrolled a demographically diverse group of girls who were 19 years old or younger and had moderate to severe dysmenorrhea. The average age of the 76 girls enrolled was 17 years. Their average body mass index was about 24 kg/[m.sup.2].

Dysmenorrhea symptom severity was self-rated by each patient using the Moos Menstrual Distress ...