Antimüllerian hormone levels decrease in women using combined contraception independently of administration route.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of continuous use of oral (OC), transdermal, and vaginal combined contraceptives on the pituitary-ovarian axis and inhibition of follicular development.
DESIGN: Spin-off study of a prospective, randomized trial.
SETTING: University clinic. PATIENT(S): Forty-two of 54 healthy women completed the study. INTERVENTION(S): Treatment with combined OCs (ethinyl E2 [EE] and desogestrel), transdermal patches (EE and norelgestromin), or vaginal rings (EE and etonogestrel) for 9 weeks continuously. Blood sampling was performed before and at 5 and 9 weeks of treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Changes in serum hormone levels induced by combined contraceptives. RESULT(S): Serum antimüllerian hormone (AMH), FSH, inhibin B, LH, and E2 levels had decreased significantly in all study groups after 9 weeks of treatment. Significant declines were already detected after 5 weeks' use of combined contraceptives with regard to all hormone levels apart from those of serum AMH, where the decrease between baseline and 5 weeks was only moderate. Between groups, serum levels of AMH, inhibin B, LH, and E2 were comparable at baseline and after 5 and 9 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSION(S): The decrease of serum AMH levels during the use of all combined contraceptives indicates that folliculogenesis is arrested independently of administration route. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01087879.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes