"i&#039;ve used aviane for approx. 14 years, i&#039;m 43 now.  my doctor recommended aviane because it had a low hormone level.  i never gained weight and my period have for the most part always been light.  the only side effect that i&#039;ve experienced is melasma (dark spots on face).  i&#039;ve recently tried to get off of this birth control but i experienced immediate weight gain. it could be attributed to my age...i don&#039;t know.   since i&#039;m single now am not sexually active right now i&#039;m going to stop using aviane to see if my dark spot problem clears up."