Table 1. Factors to be considered in the determination of the ethinyl estradiol dose in a combined oral contraceptive.

Factors/symptoms	COC with ≤ 20 µg ethinyl estradiol	COC with ≥ 30 µg ethinyl estradiol
Cycle	regular	irregular
Skin lesions	no	acne
Ovarian cysts	no	yes
Other drugs (risk of interactions)	no	yes
Risk factors for thromboembolism	yes	no
Cigarette smoking	yes	no
Reliable intake of COC	yes	less reliable

COC, combined oral contraceptives