Safety of modern oral contraceptives [letter]

A news item in your issue of November 4 correctly states that "The safety of other third-generation oral contraceptives (OCs)--e.g. those containing norgestimate--has not been questioned and the CSM advice refers specifically to those containing gestodene or desogestrel". Your December 16 issue creates a false impression that the safety of all so-called "third generation" OCs is in question. Such information does a disservice to norgestimate. The Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health (Update 1995 no. 8) states "The new advice issued by the CSM applies only to C[ombined]OCs containing desogestrel or gestodene". "Third generation" is not a clinical definition of a class of OCs; it is a term coined to describe a number of distinct OCs that were introduced during the same approximate time period. The most accurate representation of the compounds in question is to call them by individual name. To avoid any future concern and anxiety amongst prescribers and users of Cilest (norgestimate) we request that all discussions of this topic be specific about the compounds involved. (full text)