Oral contraceptives and clinical recurrence of human papillomavirus lesions and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia following treatment

Objective: To evaluate the effect of oral contraceptive use on the recurrence rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) lesions and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) following ablative or excisional procedures in a long-term follow-up. Method: The study was conducted with 650 oral contraceptive users presenting with HPV lesions and/or CIN, and 670 women who had these lesions but did not use oral contraceptives acted as controls. The participants underwent cytologic evaluations, colposcopy, and direct biopsy, followed by either ablative treatment by laser carbon dioxide vaporization or excision by a loop electrosurgical excision procedure or cold knife conization. They were then followed up for a minimum of 5 years. Results: The recurrence rates did not differ statistically between the case and control groups. Conclusion: Oral contraceptive use was not found to increase the recurrence rate of HPV lesions and/or CIN after ablative or surgical treatment. © 2007 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.