[Detection of ovulation by assay of the luteinizing hormone in the urine of adolescents, before prescribing oral contraceptives].

Prior to the prescription of oral contraceptives to a series of 64 adolescent girls (mean age 18.3 years), the authors determined the presence of ovulation by measuring the basal body temperature (BBT) and the luteinising hormone (LH) in the urine. 34% of these girls had anovulatory cycles due to intermittent hyperprolactinaemia, a polycystic ovary syndrome or a pituitary microadenoma. This method should be widely used because of the obvious importance of determining the presence of ovulation prior to the prescription of oral contraceptives in order to avoid harmful effects on the hypothalamo-hypophyso-ovarian axis.