What Is It?
Lybrel is the first continuous use drug designed to prevent pregnancy. It was approved by the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration) in 2007 and should be available in the UK this year.
How Do You Use It?
It comes in a 28-day pack and contains a low dose combination of oestrogen and progestogen. It works in the same way as other contraceptive pills, by lowering the production of hormones that enable pregnancy. It is currently available on prescription only.
Why The Big Fuss?
It puts a woman in control of her body and gives her a choice as to whether she wants to have a period or not. An estimated 3.5m women in the UK currently use the contraceptive pill and many take it continuously to avoid painful and heavy periods or to delay them at inconvenient times. Several British papers hailed it as the new ‘super pill’ and it’s an important development in oral contraception.
How Effective Is it?
Two one-year clinical studies were carried out, using 2,400+ women, aged between 18-49. In the primary study, 59% of women who took it for one year had no bleeding or spotting during the final month. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (the manufacturer) say spotting should decrease over time as the body gets used to taking it. However, the NHS National Library of Health reports that only 43% of the women completed the trial because of side effects such as headaches, breast pain and sickness. Studies suggest it is 92-99.7% effective, like other forms of oral contraceptive.
Pros
- The Planned Parenthood Federation of America supports the decision to approve the drug saying it helps reduce PMS symptoms and offers relief from painful periods, headaches and cramps.
- It offers women more choice in how we choose to use contraception, says the Family Planning Association.
- Most pill users have artificial ‘withdrawal’ bleeds each month and there’s no evidence to show this is beneficial to our health. Pill manufacturers thought that women would be more likely to take it if they had a regular period.
- It cuts the cost of buying sanitary products.
- It contains a lower dose of hormones so the overall effect may be equal to that of other brands.
Cons
- Not having a period makes it difficult for a woman to know if she’s pregnant. Suppressing menstruation can also mask the symptoms of other health issues such as thyroid problems, says Michael Dooley, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at The Poundbury Clinic.
- Many women prefer having regular periods – it’s a reassurance of femininity.
- We don’t know what the long-term effects are of using hormones continually and disrupting our natural cycle.
- Spotting is likely until a woman has been taking Lybrel for several months.
- As with other oral contraceptives it isn’t suitable for all women.
References: - The Great Escape: Ending Period Pain, New Scientist magazine, issue 2623, September 26, 2007, pg 40-43.
