Birth control pills studied for strength

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government is considering setting higher standards for birth control drugs used by millions, saying that newer pills appear to be less effective at preventing pregnancy than those approved decades ago.
The Food and Drug Administration asked a panel of experts Tuesday whether it should require new contraceptive drugs to meet a standard of effectiveness before they are approved for the market. The panel meets again Wednesday.
More than 60 percent of U.S. women between ages 15 and 44 use some sort of contraception, with 11.6 million choosing birth control pills, according to a 2005 survey by the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research group. The global market for hormonal contraceptives was 5 billion in 2005, according to an estimate by U.K. research firm Piribo.
In briefing documents posted to its Web site, the FDA says newer contraceptives appear to be less effective -- at times, with twice the failure rate -- than previous products, most likely because manufacturers have started using lower doses of hormones that stop ovulation.
"The very first pills were very high dose and carried risks of blood clots and cardiovascular problems that would be unacceptable to most women," said Amy Allina, program director of the National Women's Health Network. "Today most birth control pills are very safe for the vast majority of women."
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