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Contraceptive Update: Contraceptive Pearls
(November 2003)
The "Contraceptive Pearls" offer answers to commonly asked questions about family planning. These "Pearls" were prepared by Dr. James D. Shelton, Senior Medical Scientist, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAID). They are reprinted with permission. To view archives of Jim Shelton's Pearls online, visit Jim Shelton's Pearls onlin
OCs and Acne
Question: My sister takes an oral contraceptive that claims to improve acne. Is that true of other OC brands as well?
Answer: Probably all low-dose combined OCs improve acne about the same. According to recent review of OCs in the New England Journal: "Some formulations have been approved for a marketing claim regarding their beneficial effect on acne, but all low-dose combination oral contraceptives cause a similar decrease in the concentration of free testosterone, the presumed mechanism for the improvement of acne."1 Of course not all women will have improvement in acne.
1. Petitti DB. Combination estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives. NEJM 2003; 345:1443-50.