Serum lipids in Norplant implants users: a cross-sectional study.

One of the methods to establish the safety and risk profile of hormonal contraceptives is employing a study on their metabolic effects. In order to evaluate the effect of Norplant implants on serum lipids, a cross-sectional study was undertaken at Klinik Raden Saleh, Jakarta. The subjects recruited were divided into 8 groups depending on the length of Norplant use, i.e. before insertion, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, 60 months and one week after the removal of Norplant. Blood samples were collected from the subjects after an overnight fast. The parameters studied were triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding the triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol (p greater than 0.05). There were significant differences between the groups regarding the total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (p less than 0.01).