Conditions: Contraception
Keywords: Emergency contraception
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 34
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
A well-designed pharmacokinetics (PK) study may identify the physiologic basis for observed differences in levonorgestrel emergency contraception (LNG-EC) and ulipristal acetate emergency contraception (UPA-EC) failure rates in women with normal and obese BMI. The investigators propose a study to compare serum LNG and UPA levels after administration of a single-dose of LNG-EC or UPA-EC. The investigators hypothesize that there will be no difference in PK parameters between women with normal BMI and obese women.

Detailed description:
Eligible women will present to the division research office, at which time a history and physical exam will be completed. Each participant's BMI will be confirmed and she will be assigned to one of two BMI groups (18.5-24.9 versus 30-39.9). At the conclusion of the enrollment visit, the research coordinator will randomize each woman to receive a single-dose pill of either levonorgestrel 1.5mg (like Plan B One-Step® or its generic formulations) or ulipristal acetate 30mg (ellaOne®) on two separate occasions.

Arms:
arm 1: Women with normal BMI will receive the first emergency contraception (EC) dose and complete pharmacokinetics (PK) assessments; then return to the clinic after at least 8 days to receive the second study drug and complete the same assessments. The study drugs Levonorgestrel (LNG-EC) and Ulipristal Acetate (UPA-EC) will be given in random order. arm 2: Women with obese BMI will receive the first emergency contraception (EC) dose and complete pharmacokinetics (PK) assessments; then return to the clinic after at least 8 days to receive the second study drug and complete the same assessments. The study drugs Levonorgestrel (LNG-EC) and Ulipristal Acetate (UPA-EC) will be given in random order.

Interventions: intervention 1: LNG-EC intervention 2: UPA-EC
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: FDA-approved emergency contraceptive pill containing levonorgestrel 1.5mg intervention 2: FDA-approved emergency contraceptive pill containing ulipristal acetate 30mg

Protocol document: