Effects of Oral Contraceptives on the Quality of Life of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial
June 2020
in “
Research Square (Research Square)
”
TLDR Oral contraceptives with CPA improve overall quality of life for women with PCOS.
This study evaluated the effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) on the quality of life (QOL) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) through a crossover randomized controlled trial involving 200 participants, with 88 completing the study. The trial compared OCs containing levonorgestrel (LNG) with those containing desogestrel (DSG), cyproterone acetate (CPA), or drospirenone (DRSP) over two 6-month treatment periods. Results indicated that after 6 months, OCs containing CPA significantly improved the total QOL scores compared to those containing LNG (P < 0.042), while no significant differences were observed in specific QOL domains such as psychosocial-emotional, self-image, fertility, sexual function, hirsutism, and obesity-menstrual disorders. The study concluded that newer generation progestins in OCs were non-inferior to older compounds, with CPA showing notable improvements in overall QOL for PCOS patients.