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

Sanna Kallio, Johanna Puurunen, Aimo Ruokonen, Tommi Vaskivuo, Terhi Piltonen, Juha S Tapanainen

Index: Fertil. Steril. 99(5) , 1305-10, (2013)

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Abstract

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.Spin-off study of a prospective, randomized trial.University clinic.Forty-two of 54 healthy women completed the study.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.Changes in serum hormone levels induced by combined contraceptives.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.The decrease of serum AMH levels during the use of all combined contraceptives indicates that folliculogenesis is arrested independently of administration route.NCT01087879.Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.