| VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BIRTH-CONTROL STUDY
St. Louis, June 11, 1997 -- Women who would
like to test an alternative to daily birth-control pills may be
eligible for a study of monthly hormone injections.
Diane F. Merritt, M.D., associate professor
of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis, is participating in a national study to
test monthly injections of Cyclo-Provera, a combination of estrogen
and progesterone.
"Monthly injections are widely used in
Europe, where they are as effective as correctly used pills or
tubal ligation," Merritt says. "Women who want effective
birth control but have trouble remembering to take a daily pill
may select this option."
The St. Louis site will enroll 30 sexually
active women between ages 18 and 49. Volunteers should be fertile
but not want to become pregnant for at least 60 weeks.
An initial screening evaluation plus 15 monthly
visits to the medical school are required. All examinations and
lab tests relating to the study will be provided free of charge.
Participants will choose whether to take Cyclo-Provera,
the experimental treatment, or Ortho-Novum 7/7/7, an FDA-approved daily contraceptive
pill.
The researchers will compare the effectiveness
of the two forms of birth control and will examine participants'
satisfaction with their choice of contraception. They also will
study patterns of menstruation and bleeding between periods.
Forty-two sites are participating in the research,
which is funded by The Pharmacia & Upjohn Co.
For further information, call the School of
Medicine at 454-8988.
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