Abstract

Can the oral contraceptives cause thromboembolic disease ? The answer to this question must have an important bearing on our use of these drugs. Their effectiveness in preyenting conception is undisputed. When taken in recommended doses for 20 days in each cycle, Conovid, Conovid E and Anovlar are virtually 100% effective (Medical Letter, Brit. ed. 1962, 1, 25). Although the possibility of long-term harmful effects on endocrine and other organs cannot be dismissed until the drugs have been in use for a great many years, the immediate question is whether they cause more frequent thromboembolic disorders than would occur if they were not used.