Abstract
The objective of this study is to determine whether dienogest therapy after endometriosis surgery reduces the risk of recur -
rence compared with placebo or alternative treatments (GnRH agonist, other progestins, and estro-progestins). The design
used in this study is systematic review with meta-analysis. The data source includes PubMed and EMBASE searched up to
March 2022. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in accordance with guidelines from the Cochrane Col-
laboration. Keywords such as “dienogest,” “endometriosis surgery,” “endometriosis treatment,” and “endometriosis medical
therapy” were used to identify relevant studies. The primary outcome was recurrence of endometriosis after surgery. The
secondary outcome was pain recurrence. An additional analysis focused on comparing side effects between groups. Nine
studies were eligible, including a total of 1668 patients. At primary analysis, dienogest significantly reduced the rate of cyst
recurrence compared with placebo (p < 0.0001). In 191 patients, the rate of cyst recurrence comparing dienogest vs GnRHa
was evaluated, but no statistically significant difference was reported. In the secondary analysis, a trend toward reduction
of pain at 6 months was reported in patients treated with dienogest over placebo, with each study reporting a significantly
higher reduction of pain after dienogest treatment. In terms of side effects, dienogest treatment compared with GnRHa sig-
nificantly increased the rate of spotting (p = 0.0007) and weight gain (p = 0.03), but it was associated with a lower rate of
hot flashes (p = 0.0006) and a trend to lower incidence of vaginal dryness. Dienogest is superior to placebo and similar to
GnRHa in decreasing rate of recurrence after endometriosis surgery. A significantly higher reduction of pain after dienogest
compared with placebo was reported in two separate studies, whereas a trend toward reduction of pain at 6 months was
evident at meta-analysis. Dienogest treatment compared with GnRHa was associated with a lower rate of hot flashes and a
trend to lower incidence of vaginal dryness.
Keywords
Dienogest · Endometriosis · Endometrioma · Recurrence · Postoperative medical treatment
Introduction
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, chronic disease
characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and
stroma outside the uterus. Endometriotic disease affects
about 5% of women of reproductive age [1] and is frequently
associated with pelvic pain and/or infertility [2 ]. Ovarian
endometriomas are present in up to 41% of patients with
endometriosis [3 , 4], whereas deeply infiltrating endome-
triosis (DIE) has been reported in 39% of the cases of pelvic
endometriosis [5]. Management options in case of endome-
triosis include medical therapy, surgery, assisted reproduc-
tive techniques (ART) in case of associated infertility, or
a combination of the above [3 , 5–7]. Among the available
medical therapies, combined oral contraceptives (COC) and
progestins are usually considered first-line options [6, 7].
Dienogest (DNG) is a fourth-generation progestin that has
been approved for the medical treatment of endometriosis
and has the advantage of having little androgenic, glucocor-
ticoid, or mineralocorticoid properties. Nowadays, only few
controlled trials evaluating the effect of dienogest compared
* Ludovico Muzii
[email protected]
1 Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences,
Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico,
155-00161 Rome, Italy
2 Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences,
University of Manchester, Greater Manchester, Manchester,
UK
3136 Reproductive Sciences (2023) 30:3135–3143
1 3
to placebo or other medical treatments in patients affected by
endometriosis have been published. We deemed it relevant
to conduct a systematic literature review and meta-analysis
with the objective of defining the magnitude of the effect of
dienogest in reducing lesion and symptom recurrence after
conservative surgery for endometriosis and comparing the
impact of dienogest with that of GnRH agonists and other
medical treatments when used as a postoperative preventive
measure.
Materials and methods
Search Strategy
The present systematic review and meta-analysis were per -
formed in accordance with guidelines from the Cochrane
Collaboration and followed Preferred Reporting Items for
Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines [8]. The
study protocol was registered online in the International
Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO
number: CRD3274812022).
An electronic database search was performed to identify
articles published until March 2022. PubMed and EMBASE
were screened to identify studies that evaluated the efficacy
of dienogest in the management of endometriosis after sur -
gery, using a combination of the following search terms:
“dienogest,” “endometriosis surgery,” “endometriosis treat-
ment,” and “endometriosis medical therapy.”
A broadly inclusive search was conducted initially, fol-
lowed by a subsequent restriction for studies on patients
undergoing surgery during the title/abstract review process.
In the attempt to identify further published, unpublished,
and ongoing trials, we searched trials and research registries
(Clini calTr ials. gov, austr alian clini caltr ials. gov. au). The ref-
erence lists of reviews and relevant articles were screened by
hand to identify additional eligible publications. The search
strategy is described in detail in Supplementary Data File
S1, available online. Articles considered were randomized
clinical trials (RCTs), prospective, or retrospective con-
trolled studies evaluating the effect of dienogest compared to
placebo/no therapy or other treatment (GnRH agonist, other
progestins, or combined oral contraceptives) to prevent the
recurrence of endometriosis after surgery. The protocol was
designed a priori, defining methods for collecting, extract-
ing, and analyzing data.
The electronic search was conducted independently by
two investigators (G.G. and F.C.). All articles considered
relevant based on the title and abstract were retrieved. Sub-
sequently, five investigators (L.M., C.D.T., V.D.D., G.G.,
and F.C.) independently read the full text of the pre-selected
articles to verify the pertinence of the articles for the aim
of the analysis. Studies were excluded if reporting partial or
duplicate data sets. In case of disagreement on the inclusion
or exclusion of preselected studies for meta-analysis or any
other disagreement through the review process, the consen-
sus was reached after discussion involving all researchers.
Inclusion Criteria
Controlled studies (retrospective or prospective) evaluating
the risk of disease recurrence and changes in endometriosis-
related pain in premenopausal women undergoing endome-
triosis curative surgery followed by dienogest vs placebo/
no therapy, or other hormonal suppression were included.
Inclusion criteria were (1) English language, (2) presence
of a control group, and (3) evaluation of at least one outcome
of interest. After confirmation of pertinence, studies were
excluded if they report partial or incomplete data. Studies
evaluating patients without histologically proven endometri-
osis and those who underwent only diagnostic, non-curative
surgery were excluded from our analysis. The same subjects
were not included twice in an analysis of a single outcome.
A flow diagram of the study selection process is presented
in Fig. 1.
Quality Assessment
All identified controlled studies were included in the meta-
analysis. The studies were then classified qualitatively
according to the guidelines published in the Cochrane
Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The
Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions
(ROBINS-I) tool was used for assessing the risk of bias in
non-randomized studies of interventions included in the
meta-analysis (Supplemental Table 1).
Outcomes
Outcomes that are particularly concerning for patients in this
context were selected.
Primary Outcome
1) Recurrence rate: Evaluation of the postoperative recur -
rence rate of endometriosis, defined as imaging evidence
of a new endometrioma of more than 15 mm, plaques,
and/or endometriosis nodules either on ultrasound (US)
or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Secondary Outcomes
2) Pelvic pain recurrence: Evaluation of pelvic pain using
standardized measures (10-point Visual Analogue
Scale, with conversion to a 10-point scale in case studies
3137Reproductive Sciences (2023) 30:3135–3143
1 3
reported a 1–100 mm scale) to score the symptom inten-
sity from preoperative baseline to follow-up period.
3) Side effects: Evaluation of side effects according to the
drug used.
The occurrence of spotting, depression, headache,
vaginal dryness, weight gain, and hot flashes from base-
line have been extrapolated from the studies for each
side effect.
Analysis
Data were pooled using RevMan software (Review
Manager version 5.4; the Cochrane Collaboration,
Copenhagen, Denmark). Dichotomous outcomes from
each study were expressed as odds ratios (OR) with a
95% confidence interval (CI). Continuous outcomes
were expressed as standardized mean differences
(SMD). Heterogeneity between studies was reported
with the I^2 statistic. A DerSimonian-Laird random-
effects meta-analysis model was used at meta-analysis if
any heterogeneity was detected, whereas a fixed-effects
model was used if no heterogeneity was identified. A
value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically signifi -
cant. We decided to examine publication bias with Egg-
er’s test and funnel plots if the number of studies was
10 or above because these analyses are underpowered
otherwise [8 ].
Results
Study Selection
Our electronic database search produced 86 articles. Title
and abstract screening selected a total of 30 studies eligi-
ble for full-text evaluation. A total of 21 of these papers
were excluded, as detailed in the PRISMA flowchart in
Fig. 1 and Supplemental Table 2, available online. Nine
studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria: four were prospec-
tive controlled studies and five were retrospective studies.
Recurrence rate was reported in six studies [9 –14]. Change
in pelvic pain was reported in three studies [9 , 13, 15].
Side effects were reported in four studies (13–16).
Fig. 1 PRISMA flow chart for
study identification and inclu-
sion/exclusion
Identification of studies via databases
Articles removed before screening:
Duplicate records removed (n = 2)
Records marked as ineligible by
automation tools (n = 4)
Records removed for other reasons (n
= 25)
Articles identified from:
Databases (n = 86)
Identification
Articles screened
(n = 55)
Articles excluded for non-therapeutic surgery before
treatment (n = 25)
Articles sought for retrieval
(n = 0) Articles not retrieved (n = 0)
Screening
Articles excluded:
data could not be extracted (n = 7)
non-therapeutic surgery (n = 4)
outcome only about pregnancy rate (n
= 2)
no control group (n = 3)
duplication or inadequate
treatment/follow-up duration (n = 5)
Articles assessed for eligibility
(n = 30)
Articles included in review
(n = 9)
Included
3138 Reproductive Sciences (2023) 30:3135–3143
1 3
Study Characteristics
Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis, encom-
passing a total of 1668 patients. Globally, 581 (9 studies)
women received, after surgery for endometriosis, dienogest
and 345 other medical treatments, of which 281 (3 studies)
were GnRH analogs (GnRHa), 64 (5 studies) were estro -
progestins, and 742 (6 studies) were placebo or no therapy.
Effects of Interventions
Recurrence rate
Dienogest vs Placebo/No Therapy Five articles with a
total of 1024 patients (311 in the DNG group and 713 in the
placebo group) evaluated the rate of cyst recurrence com-
paring DNG vs placebo/no therapy during the follow-up
period ranging from 24 to 60 months (9–13). Definitions of
recurrence reported in trials included in the meta-analysis
are reported in Table 1. In particular, two studies defined
recurrence as the evidence of a new endometrioma of more
than 2 cm on ultrasound (US) [9 , 10], two magnetic res-
onance imaging (MRI) [12, 13], and one the presence of
endometrioma with a minimum diameter of 15 mm based on
noninvasive imaging [11]. Dienogest significantly reduced
the rate of cyst recurrence compared with placebo or no
treatment. The pooled estimated odds ratio (OR) was 0.14
(95% CI 0.07 to 0.26; p < 0.0001). Heterogeneity for this
comparison was I2 0% (95% CI 0–79.2%). Only one study
was prospective, making any statistical subgroup analysis
according to the study design (prospective vs retrospective)
impractical (Fig. 2).
Dienogest vs GnRHa Three articles [10, 13, 14] with a
total of 191 patients (89 in the dienogest group and 102
in the GnRHa group) evaluated the rate of cyst recurrence
Table 1 General characteristics of the included studies
Abbreviations: COC, combined oral contraceptive; DNG, dienogest; LA, leuprolide acetate; PS, prospective study; PRT, prospective randomized
study; RS, retrospective study
Author and year Study design Patient
numbers
Age, mean Intervention Control group
Ouchi et al. 2014 RS 7 34.6 ± 5.8 DNG 2 mg/day, orally 1. No therapy
2. Continuous COC, orally
3. Discontinued COC, orally
4. LA 1.88 mg or buserelin 1.8 mg/4 week, subcutane-
ously
Ota et al. 2015 RS 151 32.56 ± 5.23 DNG 2 mg/day, orally No therapy
Adachi et al. 2016 RS 40 35.4 ± 1.0 DNG 2 mg/day, orally No therapy
Lee et al. 2016 PS 36 29.0 ± 5.9 DNG 2 mg/day, orally LA 3.75 mg/4 week, subcutaneously and add–back
Takaesu et al. 2016 PRT 56 34.1 ± 6.6 DNG 2 mg/day, orally 1. No therapy
2. Goserelin 1.8 mg/4 week, subcutaneously
Yamanaka et al. 2017 RS 59 35 ± 6.8 DNG 2 mg/day, orally No therapy
Abdou et al. 2018 PRT 121 29.52 ± 3.32 DNG 2 mg/day, orally LA 3.75 mg/4 weeks, intramuscularly
Ceccaroni et al. 2021 PRT 81 35 ± 5.5 DNG 2 mg/day, orally Triptorelin or leuprorelin 3.75mg /4 weeks, intramus-
cularly
Kashi et al. 2021 PRT 30 34.22 ± 6.54 DNG 2 mg/day, orally 1. Placebo
2. COC, orally
Fig. 2 Forest plot: endometriosis recurrence with post-operative dienogest compared to placebo/no therapy
3139Reproductive Sciences (2023) 30:3135–3143
1 3
comparing DNG vs GnRHa during the follow-up period
ranging from 24 to 60 months. Heterogeneity for this com-
parison was I2 61% (95% CI 0–88.9%). No statistically sig-
nificant difference was reported between groups (OR 0.81;
95% CI 0.18–3.65; p = 0.79) (Fig. 3).
Dienogest vs Other Progestins No study reports any data
about this outcome.
Dienogest vs Estroprogestins Only one monocentric
[10] retrospective study evaluated the recurrence compar -
ing dienogest (n = 7) vs continuous (n = 25) or cyclic (n =
9) oral contraceptive pill. That study reported no recurrence
in DNG and continuous contraceptive groups, whereas there
was 5 (55%) in cyclic oral contraceptive group 5 years after
surgery.
Pelvic Pain
Dienogest vs Placebo/No Therapy Two studies with a
total of 140 patients (70 in the dienogest group and 70 in
the placebo group) evaluated changes in pelvic pain at 6
months comparing DNG vs placebo/no therapy [9 , 17].
Heterogeneity for this comparison was I2 98% (95% CI
95.3–99.1%). The standard mean difference (SMD) for pain
at baseline vs 6 months reported on a 10-point scale was
− 2.78 (95% CI − 6.69 to 1.12), p = 0.16 (Fig. 4). Only
one study comparing DNG vs placebo/no therapy evaluated
changes in pelvic pain at 12 and 24 months [9 ]. This study
suggests that DNG significantly reduced pain compared
with placebo at 12 (SMD: − 4.31; 95% CI − 5.29 to 3.33;
p < 0.0001) and 24 months (SMD: − 3.50; 95% CI − 4.71
to 2.28; p < 0.0001).
Dienogest vs GnRHa Only one study evaluated changes in
pelvic pain at 3 months comparing DNG vs GnRHa, and no
difference was observed [15].
Dienogest vs Progestins No study reports any data about
this outcome.
Dienogest vs Estroprogestins Only one monocentric ran-
domized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study [17] evalu-
ated pelvic pain by comparing DNG ( n = 30) vs continu -
ous oral contraceptive pill (n = 30). That study reported the
mean difference and no significant difference was registered
between the two intervention groups.
Fig. 3 Forest plot: endometriosis recurrence with post-operative dienogest compared to GnRHa
Fig. 4 Forest plot: changes in pelvic pain at 6 months comparing dienogest vs placebo/no therapy
3140 Reproductive Sciences (2023) 30:3135–3143
1 3
Adverse Effects
Dienogest vs Placebo/No Therapy
All studies reported adverse events only in the treat-
ment group and therefore were not considered in the
meta-analysis.
Dienogest vs GnRHa Spotting
Four articles with a total of 557 patients (276 in the dien-
ogest group and 281 in the GnRHa group) evaluated the rate
of spotting comparing DNG vs GnRHa (13–16). Heteroge-
neity for this comparison was I2 84% (95% CI 96.7–98.8%).
A higher rate of spotting was reported in dienogest group
compared with GnRHa group. The pooled estimated odds
ratio (OR) was 17.84 (95% CI 3.39 to 93.88; p = 0.0007)
(Fig. 5a).
Depression
Only one study reported data on depression [16]. That
study suggests that after 6 months, DNG vs GnRHa are simi-
lar in terms of incidence of depression.
Headache
Four articles with a total of 557 patients (276 in the dien-
ogest group and 281 in the GnRHa group) evaluated the rate
of headache comparing DNG vs GnRHa (13–16). Hetero-
geneity for this comparison was I2 42% (95% CI 0–80.5%).
The pooled estimated OR was 1.16 (95% CI 0.55–2.45); p
= 0.69 (Fig. 5b).
Vaginal Dryness
Three articles with a total of 452 patients (222 in the
dienogest group and 230 in the GnRHa group) evaluated
the rate of vaginal dryness comparing DNG vs GnRHa (14–
16). Heterogeneity for this comparison was I2 82% (95% CI
44.4–94.2%). A trend of higher incidence of vaginal dryness
was reported in the GnRHa group. The pooled estimated OR
was 0.47 (95% CI 0.08–2.65); p = 0.39 (Fig. 5c).
Weight Gain
Two articles with a total of 306 patients (157 in the dien-
ogest group and 149 in the GnRHa group) evaluated the
rate of weight gain comparing DNG vs GnRHa [15, 16]. A
higher rate of weight gain was reported in the DNG group
compared with the GnRHa group. Heterogeneity for this
comparison was I2 0% (95% CI 0–98.2%). The pooled esti-
mated odds ratio (OR) was 3.37 (95% CI 1.14 to 9.98; p =
0.03) (Fig. 5d).
Hot Flashes
Four articles with a total of 557 patients (276 in the
dienogest group and 281 in the GnRHa group) evaluated
the rate of hot flashes comparing DNG vs GnRHa (13–16).
Heterogeneity for this comparison was I2 92% (95% CI
95.7–98.3%). A lower rate of hot flashes was reported in the
DNG group compared with the GnRHa group. The pooled
estimated odds ratio (OR) was 0.08 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.49; p
= 0.006) (Fig. 5e).
Discussion
The present meta-analysis summarizes the highest-quality
evidence available in English-language gynecology lit-
erature on the efficacy of DNG for medical treatment of
endometriosis after surgical excision of the disease. On the
basis of the analyzed outcomes, DNG is superior to placebo
or no treatment and similar to GnRHa in decreasing rate
of recurrences after conservative surgery for treatment of
endometriosis. In the present meta-analysis, only one mono-
centric [10] retrospective study evaluated the rate of recur -
rence after surgery for endometriosis, comparing dienogest
vs continuous or cyclic oral contraceptive pill. This study
reports a statistically higher rate of recurrence in patients
who underwent postoperative cyclic compared to continuous
oral contraceptives or dienogest. Moreover, as results from
analysis of secondary outcome, a trend toward reduction of
6 months pain was reported (SMD – 2.78; 95% CI − 6.69 to
1.12; p = 0.16) in patients treated with DNG over placebo or
no therapy. This finding could be influenced by the availabil-
ity in the literature of only 2 small and very heterogeneous
studies. Interestingly, both of them reported a significantly
higher reduction of pain after DNG compared with placebo
or no therapy (DNG: − 5.39 ± 3.81 vs no therapy − 3.14 ±
0.66, p < 0.05 [17] and DNG: − 1.45 ± 0.42 vs no therapy
0.51 ± 0.39, p = 0.0013 (9). Furthermore, one of them sug-
gested a significantly reduced pain with DNG over placebo
also at 12 and 24 months (9). Only one study [15] evaluated
changes in pelvic pain at 3 months, comparing dienogest
vs GnRHa showing no difference. Considering drug-related
side effects, the present meta-analysis showed that, if, on one
hand, dienogest treatment compared with GnRHa signifi-
cantly increased the rate of spotting occurrence (OR: 17.84;
p = 0.0007) and weight gain (OR: 3.37; p = 0.03), on the
other hand, it is associated with a lower rate of hot flashes
(OR: 0.08; p = 0.0006) and a trend toward a lower incidence
of vaginal dryness (OR: 0.61; p = 0.10).
Endometriosis tends to recur after surgery in as many as
89.6% of cases (6). Endometrioma recurrence may be pre-
vented with postoperative long-term (> 12 months) hormo-
nal treatment (6). In a systematic review by Chen et al. [19],
a reduction of disease recurrence in favor of postsurgical
hormonal therapy (combined oral contraceptives, GnRHa,
and danazol) was reported compared to no postsurgical hor-
monal therapy (RR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.58).
In a systematic review by Zakhri et al. [20], dienogest
proved superior to expectant management with respect to
endometriosis recurrence after surgery (2% vs 29%; log odds
3141Reproductive Sciences (2023) 30:3135–3143
1 3
− 1.96, 95%CI: − 2.53 ± 1.38). No comparison was made
in this review with other medical therapies.
In a second systematic review by Zakhri et al. [21],
a pooled analysis of postoperative medical therapies
showed a reduction in disease recurrence compared to
postoperative medical therapies (RR: 0.41; 95%CI: 0.26 ±
0.65). In the above review, the subgroup analysis for each
hormonal therapy (combined hormonal contraceptives,
progestins, androgens, levonorgestrel-releasing intra-
uterine system, or GnRH agonist or antagonist) showed
no significant difference for progestin therapy since only
a single study was included.
a
b
c
d
e
Fig. 5 a Forest plot: rate of spotting comparing dienogest vs GnRHa.
b Forest plot: rate of headache comparing dienogest vs GnRHa. c
Forest plot: rate of vaginal dryness comparing dienogest vs GnRHa.
d Forest plot: rate of weight gain comparing dienogest vs GnRHa. e
Forest plot: rate of hot flashes comparing dienogest vs GnRHa
3142 Reproductive Sciences (2023) 30:3135–3143
1 3
In a systematic review by Liu et al. [22] dienogest treat-
ment after surgery was compared to no treatment (4 stud-
ies) or other treatments (GnRH-a, 5 studies; LNG-IUS, 2
studies). Dienogest therapy was associated with a lower rate
of disease recurrence (OR: 0.14; 95%CI: 0.07 ± 0.26 vs
no treatment, and OR 0.46; 95%CI: 0.24 ± 0.86 vs other
treatments).
The above and the present study therefore consistently
report that postoperative disease recurrence may be reduced
with long-term medical therapy. Postoperative medical ther-
apy should be suggested whenever the patient is not seeking
a conception and should be continued indefinitely until preg-
nancy is desired. In the present study, dienogest proved supe-
rior to both no treatment and other medical therapies. Given
the favorable side effects and cost profiles of the progestins
compared to other classes of medical therapies, dienogest
may be considered among the first-line options for the pre-
vention of endometrioma recurrence after surgical excision
(6). As an example of costs, 1-month course of therapy with
triptorelin in Italy will cost 171 €, compared to 15 € for a
combined oral contraceptive (2 mg of dienogest and 30 μg
of ethinyl estradiol) and 17 € for 2 mg of dienogest [23].
The present analysis has some limitations. First, rand-
omized trials are few in number and, in some cases, of poor
quality. Second, the definition of recurrence and follow-up
are heterogeneous, and the analysis of both randomized and
non-randomized studies could lead to selection and informa-
tion bias. Third, the results of the present meta-analysis are
applicable only to patients undergoing surgical treatment of
endometriomas and cannot be generalizable to other phe-
notypes of disease, i.e., DIE and superficial endometriosis.
Finally, an additional potential limitation is the heterogeneity
level that often remains undetected in small meta-analyses,
therefore leading to imprecise pooled estimates [18]. How -
ever, in most of present meta-analysis, heterogeneity was
successfully modeled using random-effects meta-analysis
methods. Awaiting more consolidated data on these specific
outcomes, it should be acknowledged that the present meta-
analysis has several strengths: it represents a comprehensive
evaluation with a good quality of methodological assess-
ment and strict inclusion criteria of all currently available
data on dienogest after surgical therapy, providing a large
sample size, the quality of the methodology assessment, and
strict inclusion criteria. Combined information on benefit
and potential side effects of dienogest compared with other
treatment strategies are really useful, as they help physicians
to adequately counsel patients on choosing the best personal-
ized treatment.
In conclusion, dienogest appears as a safe and more effec-
tive method of prevention of postoperative disease and pain
recurrence after surgery for endometriosis [24, 25] com-
pared to placebo or no treatment. DNG is as effective as
GnRHa for cyst and pain recurrence with less severe side
effects, particularly for bothersome side effects such as hot
flashes and vaginal dryness. On the other hand, DNG is asso-
ciated with higher rates of spotting, which however are better
tolerated by patients, especially when correctly informed.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplemen-
tary material available at https:// doi. org/ 10. 1007/ s43032- 023- 01266-0.
Funding Open access funding provided by Università degli Studi di
Roma La Sapienza within the CRUI-CARE Agreement.
Data Availability Data regarding any of the subjects in the study has not
been previously published unless specified. Data will be made available
to the editors of the journal for review or query upon request.
Declarations
Conflict of Interest The authors declare no competing interests.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attri-
bution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adapta-
tion, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long
as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source,
provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes
were made. The images or other third party material in this article are
included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated
otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in
the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not
permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will
need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a
copy of this licence, visit http:// creat iveco mmons. org/ licen ses/ by/4. 0/.
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