SDCA Asia-Pacific Multidisciplinary Research Journal

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine-metabolic disorder in which the ovaries produce abnormally high levels of androgen. PCOS by itself does not a life-threatening risk, but those who have it are more likely to develop severe symptoms such as hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, oligomenorrhea, and insulin resistance, which lead to disorders like obesity and cardiovascular diseases. The focus of this systematic review is to determine the use and effects of combined oral contraceptives (COC), specifically cyproterone acetate/ethinyl estradiol (CPA/EE), in inhibiting PCOS symptoms among women. The study used a systematic approach of obtaining data from journal articles retrieved from online resources with the use of keywords. Ten (10) included studies out of 787 were checked and verified for Scopus Indexed Journals. Through the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool, studies were then classified according to their study design and checked for risk of bias assessment. Nine (9) studies appeared to be as low risk, and one (1) has a moderate risk of bias. The results of this systematic review revealed that 21,007 out of 90,706 participants were all taking CPA/EE as treatment for PCOS symptoms and had a prevalence rate of 23.16%. By the end of the study, there was no evidence that CPA/EE is the cause of obesity and infertility. The available evidence is insufficient to determine the effect of contraceptives on weight since no large effect is evident. PCOS is the leading cause of obesity due to insulin resistance and infertility due to oligomenorrhea causing anovulation.

Keywords: Cyproterone acetate; Ethinyl estradiol; Contraception; Obesity; Polycystic ovarian syndrome; Infertility.

To cite this article:

Crescini, R. A., Lopez, L. V. F., Casupanan, R. P., & Uba, M. O. (2025). Cyproterone acetate/ethinyl estradiol and its effects as a contraceptive in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): A systematic review. SDCA Asia-Pacific Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 7(1), 41-48. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17180993