283 women volunteers from the Jackson Memorial Hospital family planning clinic were studied before and after 6-12 months postpartum or poststerilization hysterectomy using either combination type oral contraceptives containing ethynodiol diacetate and mestranol or ethynodiol diacetate and ethinyl estradiol; an oral progestogen ethynodiol diacetate; the estrogens mestranol or ethinyl estradiol; or an IUD. It was found that the triglyceride level in the IUD and ethinyl diacetate groups decreased while the level increased during the 6 months of mestranol and ethinyl estradiol therapy and change persisting at 12 months. These results suggest that the triglyceride change is ane estrogen dose-dependent effect. Since there were no significant insulin level changes lipid alterations appear independent of the carbohydrate changes.