The influence of different
oral contraceptives (OC) on the prevalence and severity of
dysmenorrhea was investigated longitudinally (from age 19 to 24 years) in a representative sample of young women from an urban Swedish population. The women were grouped according to the type of OC used at the time of assessment: monophasic OC with low
gestagen activity;
progestogen-dominated monophasic OC; triphasic OC; neither OC nor an
intrauterine device (IUD). At the age of 19 years, the severity of
dysmenorrhea was lower in users of monophasic OCs with low
gestagen activity (p less than 0.05) and users of
progestogen-dominated monophasic OCs (p less than 0.001) compared to women who used neither OC nor an IUD. At 24 years of age, the severity of
dysmenorrhea was lower in users of monophasic OCs with low
gestagen activity (p less than 0.001), users of
progestogen-dominated monophasic OCs (p less than 0.001) and users of triphasic OCs (p less than 0.001), compared to women who used neither OC nor an IUD. The severity of
dysmenorrhea in women who did not use an OC or IUD when 19 years old was reduced in the same women who used OCs when 24 years old, compared (p less than 0.001) to women who still used neither an OC nor an IUD. There were no significant differences in the prevalence and severity of
dysmenorrhea between the users of monophasic OCs, irrespective of
progestagen activity, and users of triphasic preparations.