Factors affecting uptake of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device: A mixed-method study of social franchise clients in Nigeria

Background Despite the positive characteristics of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (IUD)–a long-acting, highly effective contraceptive with important non-contraceptive attributes–the method has not been widely available in low- and middle-income countries. This study of hormonal IUD, copper IUD, implant and injectable users in Nigeria compares their characteristics, reasons for method choice, and experiences obtaining their method. Methods We conducted a phone survey with 888 women who received a hormonal IUD, copper IUD, contraceptive implant or injectable from 40 social franchise clinics across 18 states in Nigeria. We analyzed survey data descriptively by method and assessed factors associated with hormonal IUD use through multivariate logistic regression models. Follow-up in-depth interviews conducted with 32 women were analyzed thematically. Results There were few differences by method used in the socio-demographic profiles and contraceptive history of participants. Among users choosing a long-acting, reversible method, the top reasons for method choice included perceptions that the method was “right for my body,” long duration, recommended by provider, recommended by friends/family, few or manageable side effects, and high effectiveness. Among hormonal IUD users, 17% mentioned reduced bleeding (inclusive of lighter, shorter, or no period), and 16% mentioned treatment of heavy or painful periods. Qualitative data supported these findings. Among survey respondents, between 25% and 33% said they would have chosen no method if the method they received had not been available. Both quantitative and qualitative data indicated that partner support can affect contraceptive use, with in-depth interviews revealing that women typically needed partner permission to use contraception, but men were less influential in method choice. Conclusions Expanding access to the hormonal IUD as part of a full method mix provides an opportunity to expand contraceptive choice for women in Nigeria. Findings are timely as the government is poised to introduce the method on a wider scale.

P–742 Medical contraceptive use in the French population: Can we explore it based on the national health insurance data?

Study question Are French national health insurance data reliable for studying the use of medical contraception? Summary answer Health insurance data produce a measurement of contraceptive use consistent with population-based survey data, which affords new opportunities for studying contraception. What is known already Medical contraception is a major public health issue as most women of reproductive age use it. It is usually studied through population-based surveys. However, such surveys are conducted only every 10 years, and analyses are limited by their sample size. French national health insurance data provide comprehensive and time-continuous information on each reimbursed contraceptive. However, because these data have been collected for a different purpose (reimbursement), their relevance for measuring the use of contraceptives needs to be assessed. Study design, size, duration Two sources were analysed. First, a cross-sectional cohort was extracted from the health insurance database, which includes all health reimbursements (such as those for medical contraceptives) and covers 98% of the French population, including 14 million women aged 15–49. Secondly, we used the last French survey on contraception, a cross-sectional study including 4,508 women aged 15–49 interviewed by phone. Participants/materials, setting, methods From both sources, we selected all women aged 15–49 living in metropolitan France. We identified the last medical contraceptive purchased by each woman between 2014 and 2019. The woman was then classified as currently using this contraceptive if the recommended duration of use for this contraceptive was still ongoing on 31 December 2019. Prevalences were compared to those observed in the population based survey. Main results and the role of chance Among the 14.3 million women aged 15–49 living in metropolitan France covered by the health insurance, 26.0% were using the pill, 17.4% an IUD (7.6% hormonal IUD; 9.9% copper IUD), and 3.1% an etonogestrel implant. These proportions are very close to and not statistically different from those observed in the population-based survey (26.2% for the pill, 18.4% IUD, and 3.1% implant). Contraceptive use varied widely with women’s age. At ages 20–24, the most widely used contraceptive was the pill (42.2%), and very few long-acting contraceptives were used (7.6% IUD; 4.9% implant). At ages 30–34, the pill was less frequently used (21.6%) and IUD more frequently used (copper IUD: 15.79%; hormonal IUD: 7.06%). Limitations, reasons for caution It cannot be ruled out that some contraceptives were purchased but never used and that a few women stopped using the contraceptive before the end of its recommended duration. Wider implications of the findings: To our knowledge, this study is the first to estimate prevalence for Copper IUD and for hormonal IUD in France. Using the national health insurance database, it is now possible to monitor the use of each type of medical contraceptive over time in a reliable population-based approach. Trial registration number Not applicable

A systematic review on clinical effectiveness, side-effect profile and meta-analysis on continuation rate of etonogestrel contraceptive implant

Background Unintended pregnancies (UIP) have a significant impact on health of women and the health budget of countries. Contraception is an effective way to prevent UIPs. The study objective was to collate evidence on clinical effectiveness of etonogestrel subdermal implant (ESI), continuation rate and side effect profile among eligible women of reproductive age group, as compared to levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD) and depot medroxy progesterone acetate injections; other types of contraceptive implants were excluded as comparators. Methods The protocol of the systematic review was registered in Prospero (registration number: CRD42018116580). MEDLINE via PubMed, Cochrane library and web of science were the electronic databases searched. A search strategy was formulated and studies from 1998 to 2019 were included. Clinical trial registries and grey literature search was done. Critical assessment of included studies was done using appropriate tools. A qualitative synthesis of included studies was done and a meta-analysis was conducted in RevMan software for continuation rates of ESI as compared to other long acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) e.g. LNG IUS and Cu-IUD. Results The search yielded 23,545 studies. After excluding 467 duplicates, 23,078 titles were screened and 51 studies were included for the review. Eight of the 15 studies reporting clinical effectiveness reported 100% effectiveness and overall pearl index ranged from 0 to 1.4. One-year continuation rates ranged from 57–97%; 44–95% at the end of second year and 25–78% by 3 years of use. Abnormal menstruation was the most commonly reported side effect. There was no significant difference in bone mineral density at 1 year follow-up. The meta-analyses showed that odds ratio (OR) of 1-year continuation rate was 1.55 (1.36, 1.76) for LNG-IUS vs. ESI and 1.34 (1.13, 1.58) for copper-IUD vs. ESI; showing that continuation rates at the end of one-year were higher in LNG-IUS and copper-IUD as compared to ESI. Conclusion ESI is clinically effective and safe contraceptive method to use, yet 1-year continuation rates are lower as compared to LNG-IUS and copper-IUD, mostly attributed to the disturbances in the menstruation.

Knowledge and attitudes towards contraceptives among adolescents and young adults

Background Despite endorsements supporting the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) for adolescents and young adult women (AYA), they have limited knowledge about them Male partners can influence contraceptive decisions, however their perceived knowledge about IUDs is lower than their objective knowledge. We aim to establish current AYA baseline contraceptive knowledge and attitudes so providers can better target their sexual health educational interventions. Methods Females and males, aged 13 to 23 years old, from our suburban adolescent clinic, completed an anonymous survey that assessed their knowledge and attitudes towards methods of contraception, with an emphasis on the IUD. Results Completed surveys totaled 130 (99 females/31 males). Demographic results revealed 31.3% Black/African-American, 30.5% Latino/Hispanic, 17.6% White, 3.0% Asian, and 14.5% Other. The majority of participants (80%) were sexually active. The majority (69.5%) stated they/their partner were currently using a contraceptive method; only 2.6% used IUDs. Half of females (56.6%) and 10.1% of males had heard of IUDs. Despite this, male and female participants lacked knowledge regarding specific IUD facts. Of the participants who had used emergency contraception (EC), only 6.4% knew the copper IUD could be used for EC. Conclusion Contraceptive knowledge deficits, especially regarding the IUD, continue to exist for AYA patients. Many participants stated they required EC despite “satisfaction” with their birth control method(s) and most were unaware that the copper IUD could be used as EC. These discrepancies highlight the importance of comprehensive contraceptive education for AYA patients. Enhanced and consistent contraceptive options counseling can help providers ensure that their AYA patients make well-informed decisions about family planning, thus improving their quality of life.

Discontinuation of Different Contraceptive Methods in Thai Women During a One-year Period: A Cohort Study

BackgroundEven though almost 80% of sexually active Thai women use modern contraceptives, yet unintended pregnancy remains a significant reproductive health issue. One possible explanation is that the women do not use contraceptives or stopped using contraceptives at some point in their lifetime. At present, there is scant information available about contraceptive discontinuation among Thai women. We assessed the discontinuation rate and the reason for discontinuation of the four most common contraceptives used by reproductive aged Thai women: combined oral contraceptive pills (COCs), depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), copper IUD, and contraceptive implant(s).MethodsThere were 1,880 women aged 18-45 years recruited from the Family Planning Clinic of the Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok. The participants were followed at months 3, 6 and 12 either by attending the clinic or being interviewed via a phone call. Incidence density and cumulative incidence based on the Kaplan-Meier approach were used to assess contraceptive discontinuation. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine significant personal risks of discontinuing contraceptive.ResultsAmong all, 839 (44.6%) women initiated COCs; 494 (26.3%) initiated DMPA; 280 (14.9%) initiated copper IUD and 267 (14.2%) initiated contraceptive implant(s). The incidence density for discontinuation of COCs, DMPA, copper IUD, and contraceptive implant(s) were 21.33, 9.21, 4.36, and 2.26 / 100 person-year, respectively. Most of the women (185/222) discontinued their contraceptives because of the side effects. Compared to the contraceptive implant(s) users, adjusted HR (95% CI) of discontinuing COCs, DMPA, and copper IUD were 9.92 (4.38-22.46), 4.25 (1.81-9.98), 2.16 (0.81-5.76), respectively. Lower-income, higher parity numbers, history of miscarriage, and history of abortion were independent predictors of contraceptive discontinuation in a multivariable model.ConclusionsThe discontinuation rate of COCs, the most popular contraceptive method for Thai women, was the highest during the one-year period of the study. The primary reason for discontinuing the use of the various contraceptive methods was the side effects.