Effect of hormonal contraceptives on some haemostatics parameters in women attending family planning clinics in Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

The effect of oral and injectable hormonal contraceptives on coagulation parameters was carried out between March and August, 2005 on 180 apparently healthy women, aged 18-47years taking hormonal contraceptives at primary health centres in Jos north and south of Plateau State. Another 100 women not taking the drugs were also included in the study as control group. Prior to the sample collection ethical approval of the health centres was obtained while the consent of the subject sought. Platelet count, prothrombin time and Activated partial thromboplastin time tests were conducted on all the subjects The mean platelet count, mean prothrombin time and mean activated partial thomboplastin time recorded for the users of the hormonal contraceptives showed no significant difference from that of non-user (P>0.05). Assessing the variation in the mean values of these Haemostatic parameters by parity of the contraceptive drug users, the mean values of platelet count (0.255 x 106) was slightly lower in multi-parae than tri-parae and quardi-parae. Also the mean prothrombin time (23.0 Seconds) and activated partial thromboplastin time (37.0 Seconds) were longer among multi-parae than the other categories of drug users. However, statistical analysis shows no significant difference between the mean values of the haemostatic parameters with respect to the parity of the drug users. (P>0.05) Also the mean values of the Haemostatic parameters did not vary significantly by Age of the sampled population. (P>0.05).

Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 7 (1) 2008 pp. 15-18