Women's Health Flashcards
Menstrual hormone review
- menstruation typically occurs on 1-7 days, avg. about 5 days
- Follicular phase: the first 13-14 days; main hormones are FSH, estrogen & LH
- Ovulatory phase: ovulation occurs mid-cycle with the surge in LH
- Luteal phase: days 14-28; main hormones are estrogen & progesterone (prepares uterus for implantation)
Benefits of hormonal contraceptives
- pregnancy prevention
- cycle regulation: decrease blood loss (anemia), irregular cycle regulation
- dysmenorrhea –> painful menstrual cramps
- menorrhagia –> abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding
- menometrorrhagia –> heavy bleeding occurs more frequently or irregularly
- decrease ovarian cysts
- improve PMS & pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder
- treatment of endometriosis
- prevention of ovarian & endometrial cancer
Estrogen contraceptive
Ethanol estradiol (EE) -helps stabilize the endometrium & control the menstrual cycle
Progesterone (Progestin) contraceptive
1st generation: Norethindrone, Norethindrone acetate & ethynodiol diacetate
2nd generation: levonorgestrel
3rd generation: Desogestrel, Norgestimate & drospirenone
Combined hormonal methods
- combined oral contraceptives
- ortho evra patch
- nuva ring
MOA of combined hormonal contraceptives
Estrogen & Progesterone work synergistically (estrogen regulates the cycle, progesterone stops conception)
- continuous levels of estrogen & progesterone suppress FSH & LH
- progesterone suppresses LH to prevent the mid-cycle surge & stop ovulation
- progesterone thickens cervical mucus to impair sperm travel
- estrogen suppresses FSH to prevent the selection & emergence of a dominant follicle
Progesterone portion of combined hormonal methods
All forms of progesterone can exhibit some estrogenic, androgenic & anabolic activity
- estrogenic: increases estrogen
- androgenic: produces male characteristics (Desogestrel & norgestimate are less androgenic)
- anabolic: testosterone effects
Monophonic combined oral contraceptives
- provides the same amount of hormones every day for 21 days (days 22-28 are placebos)
- modified mono-phasic provides very low dose estrogen on days 24-28
Biphasic & triphasic combined oral contraceptives
- biphasic switches hormone level once through a pack
- triphasic changes hormone levels every week
- both have varying levels of estrogen & progesterone every week
- less progesterone in general than monophasics
Withdrawal bleeding
pseudomenstruation
- 28 day oral contraception pills: provide medication during the 7-day hormone free period (ie. some have iron to alleviate anemia)
- a monthly episode of withdrawal bleeding is not necessary to maintain a healthy uterus
Extended & continuous cycle combined oral contraceptives
Extended: shorten the length of bleeding time to decrease mood swings & acne; contains 24 or 26 pills
Continuous: pack contained 84 active pills; 12 weeks of pills, pseudo menstruation the 13th week (bleed 3x per year)
Missed combined oral contraceptives
1 missed pill –> take pill as soon as realized, take next tablet as scheduled, backup protection not required
2 or less missed pills –> take 2 a day until caught up, use backup method through the rest of the pack or until pseudomenstruation occurs
3 or more pills –> discontinue present pack & allow for withdrawal bleeding, start new pack 7 days after last pill taken, use backup until new set of pills have been taken for at least 7 consecutive days
ortho-evra transdermal patch
- patch is placed once a week for 3 weeks in a row (need to rotate sites to prevent skin irritation)
- 4th week is path free to allow for withdrawal bleeding
- patch works similar to COC by inhibiting ovulation, thickening cervical mucus to prevent sperm penetration & preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus
NuvaRing transvaginal contraceptive
- 2 inch diameter flexible indwelling ring inserted into the vagina
- non-biodegradable, transparent & colorless
- put 1 ring in, last 3 weeks. Take it out week 4 & have psuedomenstruation
- can be taken out for 2 hours at a time and still be effective); can be left in during sex
- added side effects: foreign body sensation, expulsion, possible vaginal discomfort
How to start combined hormonal methods
- 1st day start method: initiated on first day of menstruation; no backup needed
- Sunday start: initiated on the Sunday after the first day of menstruation (won’t have psuedomenstruation on the weekend); backup needed for 7 days
- Quick start: initiated the day the patient receives the contraception; need backup for at least 7 days (recommended through 1st cycle)
Combined hormonal contraceptive medication interactions
Use backup method for the duration of treatment plus 7 extra days (if med is long term, new form of contraception is needed)
- anticonvulsants: patients need 2 different types of birth control or longer acting method (ie. IUD)
- anticoagulants: estrogen cancels out the effect
- antituberculin
- antibiotics: need to use a backup method (for sure with Rifampin & Doxycycline)
Excess estrogen side effects
Most common: fluid retention, breast tenderness
-nausea (the more estrogen, the higher nausea), vomiting, dizziness, edema, breast enlargement chloasma, leg cramps, headaches, HTN
Estrogen deficiency side effects
Most common: breakthrough bleeding
-oligomenorrhea, dyspareunia (painful intercourse-low estrogen causes vaginal atrophy & dryness)
Excess progesterone side effects
Most common: vaginitis, excess hair growth, decreased breast size
-increased appetite, weight gain, oily skin, acne, depression, amenorrhea
Progesterone deficiency side effects
dysmenorrhea, bleeding late in the cycle, heavy menstrual flow, amenorrhea
Contraindications for combined hormonal contraceptives
- smokers over age 35
- HRN
- coronary artery disease/CHF/strong family hx of heart disease
- clotting disorders/hx of thromboembolism
- breastfeeding
- known or suspected endometrial cancer
- diagnosis of breast cancer current or past
- migranes with or without aura
Medical risks associated with combined hormone contraceptives
- thromboembolism
- stroke
- MI
- HTN
- hepatic neoplasia
- gallbladder disease
Patient education for combined hormonal contraceptives
A - severe abdominal pain C -chest pain H - headaches E - eye problems (vision changes) S - severe leg pain
If experiencing any of these, come to the clinic. Method will be stopped immediately & changed
Progestin only & LARC methods
- progestin only pills - “mini pills”
- Depo-provera
- long acting reversible contraception (LARCs)
- IUDs: hormonal (levonorgestrel) & non-hormonal (copper)
- Nexplanon
Good candidates for progesterone & LARC methods
- patients who can’t take combined methods because of co-morbidities or chronic disease
- active viral hepatitis or cirrhosis
- breastfeeding patients
- hypertensive patients
- patients over 35 that smoke
Progesterone only pill
- works by thickening the cervical mucus & thinning the endometrium to make the uterus inhospitable for fertilization/implantation (don’t suppress LH & FSH)
- each pill = 24 hours of protection
- must be taken at the exact same time each day (within 30 minutes); if > 3 hrs late, need backup contraceptive method for 48 hours
- irregular unscheduled bleeding can occur