Temporary increase of FSH levels in healthy, nulliparous, young women after cessation of low-dose oral contraceptive use.

The effect of modern low-dose oral contraceptives (OCs) on the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in young, health, nulligravid women was studied in two independent samples. Elevated FSH levels were seen in former OC users compared with never users regardless of menstrual cycle phase. The increase in FSH levels seemed to peak one year after cessation of OC use. This relationship was still significant after exclusion of women with low progesterone levels. LH levels were significantly higher in former users compared with never users in the first sample, but not in the second sample. The difference in FSH concentrations was very small. Single blood samples were obtained from the subjects at each time point even though it is recognized that gonadotropin secretion is pulsatile. These results must be regarded as preliminary and unconfirmed due to small sample size.