No abstract

SummaryThe urinary gonadotrophin and ovarian steroid excretion pattern was studied in five women taking an oral contraceptive formulation consisting of mestranol 50 jig and norethisterone 1 mg. Both the pretreatment and posttreatment cycles were normal. The ovulatory peak of luteinizing hormone (LH) during the treatment cycles was uniformly suppressed, but LH continued to be excreted within the normal range. In one fifth of the treatment cycles there was a pronounced and sustained rise of oestrogen output in the absence of ovulation, and in many of the other treatment cycles oestrogen levels suggested that active ovarian steroidogenesis was taking place.

The effect of 0 -3 5 mg of norethisterone daily on cervical mucus and on urinary LH, pregnanediol and oestrogen levels was studied during two treatment cycles in five subjects who had been observed during a control cycle. Variable changes in hormone excretion patterns were found and are discussed.