Effects of long-term postoperative oral contraceptive use for the prevention of endometrioma recurrence on bone mineral density in young women

Concerns for negative effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) on bone mineral density (BMD) in long-term users have been raised, since OCs suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. However, there have been still limited data regarding the effects of long-term OC use on BMD in young women in the twenties. We investigated the effects of long-term OC use for the prevention of endometrioma recurrence on BMD in young women. Ninety-two women aged 20-30 years who underwent conservative surgery for endometrioma and used postoperative OC for at least 12 months to prevent the recurrence were included for this cross-sectional study, and BMDs after OC use were analyzed. The mean age at starting OC and duration of OC use was 25.6 ± 2.9 years and 40.7 ± 28.5 months, respectively. No correlation was found between BMDs and age at starting OC at all sites. In addition, BMDs were also not correlated with the duration of OC use, and were comparable according to the dose of OC (20 versus 30 μg). In conclusion, long-term use of OCs has no adverse effect on BMD in post-adolescent young women.