“…Oral contraceptives containing 30 mg or more of EE associated with second-generation progestins, such as levonorgestrel, decrease peripheral insulin receptors (25) and induce subclinical abnormalities in carbohydrate metabolism (26,27). Oral contraceptives with third-generation progestins (desogestrel and gestodene, norgestimate) are considered more neutral (28)(29)(30), but in some studies a decrease in insulin sensitivity has been reported (31)(32)(33). The androgenic properties of all 19 nortestosterone derivatives may play a role in reducing insulin sensitivity (20,34).…”