An investigation into subjective well-being during oral
contraceptive (Mercilon®) use
T Fel1, J Almasi1, I Szabo2
1Organon Hungary Ltd, Medical Department, Budapest, Hungary,
2Medical School of the University of Pecs, Clinical Department of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology, Pecs, Hungary
Objective Subjective well-being comprises satisfaction
with life, and relatively high and low levels of positive and negative emotions,
respectively. Oral contraceptives may positively influence well-being by
reducing the fear of unintended pregnancy, improving cycle regularity and
reducing skin problems. The objective of this study was to investigate the
effect of Mercilon® (20 mcg ethinyl estradiol/150 mcg desogestrel) on
subjective well-being.
Design and methods A 6-month, open, prospective,
multicentre study was carried out in subjects aged up to 35 years, with normal
(24-35-day) menstrual cycles and no hormonal contraceptive use 2 months prior to
the study. Subjective well-being was evaluated after cycles 3 and 6 using a
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Subjects used the 1-7 scale to rate five
statements generating total scores of between 5 and 35 points. SWLS scores were
statistically analysed using analysis of variance. Factors thought to contribute
to score changes (eg, age, body weight and occurrence of irregular bleeding)
were also evaluated.
Results Of the 4279 women starting the study, 4176
(97.6%) completed all six cycles. The subjects’ mean age was 24.9 (±5.9) years.
Subjective well-being improved consistently and significantly (p<0.001) throughout the study as reflected by a mean increase of total SWLS score of 0.82 (0.60-1.05) points. The category with the closest correlation to the improvement was "menstrual cycles" (p=0.003). Specifically, the mean increase in SWLS score was 0.77 (0.60-0.93) for women with previously normal cycles compared with 1.09 (0.85-1.32) for those with a history of cycle irregularities. Mercilon® use significantly reduced the proportion of irregular cycles from 14.7% to 0.3% at cycle 6 (p=0.001). Furthermore, the incidence of "heavy" irregular bleeding decreased from 15% at baseline to 0.3% at cycle 6. Satisfaction with Mercilon® was high; 98% of subjects were "satisfied" or "very satisfied". Adverse events were reported by 5% of subjects.
Conclusions Mercilon® significantly improved subjective
well-being, with a history of cycle irregularities most closely correlating with
improved SWLS scores. Mercilon®’s good cycle control was the most important
factor in the increase of SWLS. Mercilon® may positively influence well-being
as a result of its reliable contraception and noncontraceptive benefits.