Social class, religion and contraceptive failure in a sample of pregnant women in Brisbane

4000 pregnant women were specifically asked about the method of contraception they last used and whether their pregnancy was a consequence of a failure of contraception. Social, economic, and religious variables were examined to assess the extent to which these were associated with differing rates of contraceptive failure. As part of a longtitudinal study of the outcomes of pregnancy, all women seeking antenatal care at a large public hospital in Brisbane (Australia) were enrolled at their 1st visit. The direct method of standardization was used to examine the contraceptive failure rate for the demographic variables of interest. This allowed adjustment for any effect of associated variables by calculating a weighted average of the specific rates within each category. Variation in the standardized rates of contraceptive failure was examined by a chi-squared test and, where appropriate, supplementary stepwise chi-squared tests were used to detect an upward or downward trend in rates for an ordinal demographic variable. While the rate of unwanted/unplanned pregnancies differed according to the criterion chosen, the variation was between 22% who believed their pregnancy was attributable to a contraceptive failure and 58% who stated that they did not plan their pregnancy or were unsure about whether it was planned or not. Altogether 29% of women acknowledged the possibility or probability of contraceptive failure. Single women were about twice as likely as married women to report contraceptive failure. These differences were independent of age differences between the marital status group. Single women and those "living together" reported the highest failure rates regardless of the most recent method of contraception used. The standardized rate at which a particular method was reported to fail did not relate significantly to the mother's educational or occupational status. More educated women had higher contraceptive failure rates because they were more frequent users of the "rhythm" method and this method fails about half the time. Lower income women reported higher rates of contraceptive failure because they tended to be less successful users of oral contraceptives (OCs. Reported contraceptive failure rates appeared relatively consistent for the method of contraception reported. Women who were more frequent church attenders reported somewhat higher rates of contraceptive failure.     

护理专业女生避孕和意外妊娠认知状况

目的 了解护理专业女生避孕知识及对意外妊娠的认知情况,为制定有针对性的避孕教育策略提供依据.方法 采用自编问卷,对蚌埠医学院326名护理专业女生进行问卷调查,内容包括个人信息、对妊娠的认识、避孕知识及紧急事后避孕、对意外妊娠的担心和处理意愿等.结果 在326名女生中,分别有91.72％,76.07％,76.38％对妊娠的主要表现、早期预警及早期诊断有较好的认知.但对避孕相关知识(月经周期中最易受孕的时间、偶尔性交能否怀孕、避孕方法)及实际运用认知并不高.被调查对象中只有23.00％会计算安全期,13.50％意愿采纳避孕药避孕.一旦遭遇意外妊娠,83.74％担心的问题是流产(流产的危险48.77％、流产并发症34.97％),其中一半以上选择终止意外妊娠的方法是流产(人工流产31.90％,药物流产23.62％),意外妊娠后主要求助于家人(41.72％)和同学(26.07％),71.47％认为意外妊娠对心理有伤害,而对意外妊娠造成的远期影响如妇科炎症、不孕症认识不足.结论 护理专业的女生避孕知识有待提高,意外妊娠相关认知需全面加强.     

Long-Term Trends in Reproductive Behavior Among Young Women in Four Countries, 1995–2009

Purpose

Identification of trends in the ability of young single women to protect themselves from unwelcome pregnancy is essential for evaluation and development of policies and programs. We document trends over a 15-year period in sexual activity, contraceptive use, and reproductive outcomes in four countries for single women aged 15–24 years.

人工流产女青年性行为和避孕现状研究

目的:了解北京市人工流产女青年的性行为和避孕现状,探讨人工流产、特别是重复流产的影响因素。方法:采用自填式问卷的方法,对北京市1 008名自愿要求人工流产、在1980年8月1日之后出生的女青年进行现状调查。结果:研究对象首次性行为的平均年龄为(20.70±1.95)岁,54%的人在20岁之前就开始了性生活;首次人工流产的平均年龄为(21.96±1.81)岁,首次流产在20岁之前的占17.0%;将近25%的人曾与2名及以上的男性发生过性关系;人流女青年本次怀孕的原因,60.2%是因为没有避孕,39.7%由于避孕失败;没有避孕的主要原因是"在没有准备好避孕药具的情况下同房"(41.5%)和"知道避孕方法但不想用"(39.7%);避孕失败的主要原因是全安期和体外射精(39.0%)、避孕套(32.7%)和紧急避孕(18.5%);过去3个月中,最常用的避孕方法为避孕套(75.5%)、全安期和体外射精(11.0%)、紧急避孕(8.2%);在避孕套使用者中,只有9.3%能坚持每次同房都用;77.2%的人认为口服避孕药对身体不好;32.4%的研究对象有重复流产。单因素分析发现,文化程度低、未婚同居、首次性生活和首次流产的年龄小、多性伴和不能坚持、正确使用避孕措施是重复流产的影响因素。结论:女青年首次性行为开始早、多性伴比例高、避孕药具使用率低或使用低效的避孕方法是非意愿妊娠和人工流产的主要原因,且重复流产现象比较严重;同时,流动人口在人流女青年中占了相当大的比例。因此,应当对未婚人群和流动人口女青年进行人工流产的危害以及避孕知识的宣传教育,提高现代科学的避孕药具使用率,避免不必要的意外妊娠和人工流产。     

人工流产后避孕指导服务效果的研究

目的：评价人工流产后避孕指导服务对降低再次人工流产和妇科疾病的作用。方法：选择2011年1月—2013年1月因意外妊娠而自愿接受人工流产并患有妇科炎症的900例妇女作为研究对象,观察组患者接受流产后避孕指导服务,对照组未接受流产后避孕指导服务。术后电话随访1年,调查2组避孕措施选择的不同,比较重复人工流产率及对妇科疾病的影响。结果：观察组和对照组人工流产术后选择的避孕措施排在前2位的均是宫内节育器和男用避孕套。观察组选择用男用避孕套率低于对照组,差异有统计学意义（χ2=28.145,P＜0.01）,而对于口服避孕药和体外排精,对照组的选择率大于观察组（P＜0.05）。观察组发生重复流产者81例（19.29%）,而对照组发生重复流产者149例（30.63%）,差异有统计学意义（χ2=15.22,P＜0.01）。观察组与对照组重复流产的原因如下,宫内节育器失败、避孕药失败、男用避孕套失败、安全期避孕、体外排精、未避孕。通过多因素Logistic回归分析结果得出,安全期避孕、未避孕、体外排精是重复流产者避孕失败的独立危险因素。结论：人工流产后避孕指导服务可使流产后妇女选择有效的避孕方法,降低妇科疾病的风险,减少再次非意愿妊娠和重复性人工流产。     

人工流产少女的性行为及避孕现状调查

目的:了解人工流产少女的性行为和避孕现状,找出存在的问题并提出相关建议。方法:以成都市锦江区妇幼保健院作为研究现场,于2009年5月～2010年4月,采用自填式问卷的方法对年龄≤20岁的人工流产少女525例进行调查和统计分析。结果:本次妊娠的主要原因是未避孕(67.6%)和避孕失败(25.2%)。未避孕的最主要原因是认为偶尔无避孕性行为不会妊娠,导致避孕失败的方法依次为体外射精、避孕套、安全期和紧急避孕药。在过去6个月内,每次性行为都使用避孕措施的占4.2%,25.2%研究对象从未使用过任何避孕措施。研究对象与男伴同居的比例非本市户籍(58.1%)高于本市户籍(41.1%),农村(59.8%)高于城镇(47.9%)(P<0.05)。采用逐步回归方法分析影响重复性流产的因素,发现年龄和收入具有统计学意义(P=0.04和P<0.01)。结论:未婚同居、收入水平低、年龄小、避孕措施使用率低和方法低效是非意愿妊娠的主要原因。应加强避孕知识的宣传教育,提高避孕药具可及性及流产后服务水平和能力。     

左旋18-甲基炔诺酮用于紧急避孕的效果与不良反应评价

目的和方法:对100例月经规律,未避孕或避孕措施失败性交后72小时内的妇女,口服左旋18-甲基炔诺酮(LNG),观察避孕效果与不良反应,并以50例妇女应用紧急避孕的经典方法Yuzpe法作对照。结果:LNG组2例妊娠,Yuzpe组1例妊娠,按Wilcox方法推算,避孕有效率分别为83％和82％,但LNG组的不良反应明显降低,P<0.001,优于经典的Yuzpe法。结论:推广使用LNG法将有利于减少非意愿妊娠,保障妇女身心健康。     

年轻妇女重复人工流产状况及影响因素

目的:了解北京市年轻妇女(≤25岁)重复流产的基本状况、有关避孕态度行为,并探讨相关影响因素。方法:本研究采用以医院为基础的描述性流行病学研究,分析多次重复流产妇女的基本状况及相关影响因素。随机选取北京市8家医院,对6个月内到这8家医院进行早期人工流产的妇女(1980年8月1日以后出生)进行问卷调查并应用SPSS10.0统计软件进行分析。结果:在所有被调查的1008例流产妇女中,2次以上(包括2次)为330例,占所有流产妇女的比例为32.7%;在重复流产的妇女中,56.9%的人未使用任何避孕措施,43.1%的妇女怀孕原因是因为避孕失败。在所有因避孕失败怀孕者中,有36.9%为安全期避孕失败,29.8%是避孕套避孕失败所引起,26.2%是体外排精,19.1%是紧急避孕药。多元Logistic回归分析,最后进入模型的因素有职业、文化程度、避孕知识、本次流产避孕状况。结论:由于年轻妇女对避孕知识相对缺乏,未采取避孕措施的比例较高,安全期避孕的使用率仍然较高。职业、文化程度、对避孕知识的掌握程度以及本次流产是否避孕是妇女重复流产的影响因素。应加强对流产后避孕知识的宣教,特别是安全期避孕与体外排精的相关知识。     

Contraceptive use and pregnancy risk among U.S. high school students, 1991-2003

CONTEXT: Trends in teenagers' contraceptive use have received less attention than trends in adolescent sexual intercourse, despite the importance of contraceptive use to preventing teenage pregnancy. METHODS: Sexually active high school students' use of contraceptives and risk of pregnancy from 1991 to 2003 were examined using data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey and published contraceptive failure rates. Changes in pregnancy risk were assessed using weighted least-squares regression. RESULTS: Between 1991 and 2003, contraceptive use improved among sexually active U.S. high school students. Improvements among women included an increase in the proportion reporting condom use at last sex (from 38% to 58%) and declines in the proportions using withdrawal (from 19% to 11%) and no method (18% to 12%). Hormonal method use changed little, as a decline in pill use (from 25% to 20%) was offset by use of injectables (5% in 2003). Similar patterns were found among men. Women's risk of pregnancy declined 21% over the 12 years. The largest improvements in contraceptive use and pregnancy risk occurred among ninth graders, and whites and blacks. In 2003, 46% of pregnancy risk resulted from failure to use any method of contraception, and 54% resulted from contraceptive failure. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement in the use of contraceptives by sexually active high school students during the 1990s is encouraging. To sustain this trend, programs need to encourage contraceptive use among teenagers who do not use it and to stress consistent and correct use among those who do.     

Associations of intimate partner violence with unintended pregnancy and pre-pregnancy contraceptive use in South Asia

ObjectiveTo assess associations of intimate partner violence (IPV) with pregnancy intendedness and pre-pregnancy contraceptive use among pregnant women in South Asia.Study designCross-sectional analyses were conducted using the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys from Bangladesh, India and Nepal for married, pregnant women aged 15–49 years who responded to IPV assessments specific to current marriage (N= 4738). Adjusted logistic and multinomial regression analyses were conducted with pooled data to assess associations of IPV ever (sexual only, physical only, sexual plus physical or none) with the outcomes of pregnancy intendedness (wanted, mistimed or unwanted) and pre-pregnancy contraceptive use (no, traditional or modern) for the current pregnancy.ResultsIPV was not associated with a mistimed or unwanted pregnancy. Sexual IPV was associated with pre-pregnancy modern contraceptive use (aOR=2.32, 95% CI=1.24, 4.36); sexual plus physical IPV was associated with pre-pregnancy traditional contraceptive use (aOR=1.85, 95% CI=1.12, 3.07). Post hoc analysis of reasons for pre-pregnancy contraceptive discontinuation revealed that women with a history of IPV, particularly sexual IPV, had higher prevalence of contraceptive failure (sexual only, 37.3%; sexual plus physical, 30.9%; physical only, 22.6%; no IPV, 13.6%).ConclusionPregnant women who experienced sexual IPV from husbands were more likely to use contraceptives pre-pregnancy but had no reduced risk unintended pregnancy, possibly due to higher rates of pre-pregnancy contraceptive failure among those with this history. These findings suggest that victims of sexual IPV are able to acquire and use family planning services but require more support to sustain effective contraceptive use.ImplicationsFamily planning services are reaching women affected by sexual IPV, and programs should be sensitive to this concern and the heightened vulnerability to contraceptive failure these women face. Long-acting reversible contraception could be beneficial by allowing women to have greater reproductive control in situations of compromised sexual autonomy.     

Contraceptive Method at First Sexual Intercourse and Subsequent Pregnancy Risk: Findings from a Secondary Analysis of 16-Year-Old Girls from the RIPPLE and SHARE Studies

PurposeExisting failure rate studies indicate that typical use of oral contraception (OC) results in fewer unplanned pregnancies than condom use, even among teenagers. However, comparative data on pregnancy risk associated with different contraceptive methods are lacking for younger teenagers starting their first sexual relationship. This study examined associations between contraceptive method at first intercourse and subsequent pregnancy in 16-year-old girls.MethodsSix thousand three hundred forty-eight female pupils from 51 secondary schools completed a questionnaire at mean age 16 years; 2,501 girls reported sexual intercourse. Logistic regression (N = 1952) was used to model the association of contraceptive method at first intercourse with pregnancy.ResultsAt first intercourse (median age 15 years) 54% reported using condoms only, 11% dual OC and condoms, 4% OC only, 4% emergency contraception, and 21% no effective method. Method used was associated with a similar method at a most recent intercourse. One in 10 girls reported a pregnancy. When compared to use of condoms only, greater pregnancy risk was found with no effective method (odds ratio [OR] 2.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12–4.15) or OC only (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.29–4.60). Pregnancy risk for dual use and emergency contraception did not differ from that for condoms only. Both significant effects were partially attenuated by adjusting for user characteristics and sexual activity.ConclusionsYoung teenagers may use OC less efficiently than condoms for pregnancy prevention. The characteristics of those using OC-only confirm vulnerability to unintended pregnancy, and suggest that alternative contraceptive strategies should be considered for these young women.     

Contraception for women over the age of 35

Women over 35 years of age comprise at least 20% of candidates for contraceptive use. This group requires special consideration in contraceptive decision making since pregnancy can involve significant health risks for both the mother and the infant. Given the greater likelihood of medical conditions such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and a history of genital tract infections, older women should be medically screened before a contraceptive method is selected. Surgical contraception is a good method for adequately counselled couples since termination of fertility is generally the goal at this stage of life; however, the possibility of uterine pathology or a tendency toward heavy bleeding should be ruled out. The IUD is also a good method for older women, given its lack of systemic side effects, but again uterine pathology must be ruled out. The relatively high failure rates associated with the use of barrier methods and spermicides make them a less satisfactory contraceptive choice for older women. Periodic abstinence is an option, but should not be recommended for premenopausal women with irregular cycles. Low-dose oral contraceptives (OCs) may be considered as a fertility control option among older women who do not smoke and have no other risk factors; however, more research is needed on the potential effect on lipoproteins. There is insufficient information available about the effects of progestin-only contraception in this age group.     

Can changes in sexual behaviors among high school students explain the decline in teen pregnancy rates in the 1990s?

PURPOSE: To explore the utility of using national data from high school students to explain changes in national declines in pregnancy rates. Although declines in teen pregnancy and birthrates in the 1990s have been welcome news to those interested in adolescent health and welfare, the reasons for these declines are not readily apparent. Previous attempts to explain these declines focused on the period before 1995 and did not directly calculate the impact of improved contraceptive use. METHODS: The national Youth Risk Behavior Survey provided estimates for sexual activity and contraceptive use among teens aged 15-17 years between 1991 and 2001 (n = 31,058). These data were combined with method-specific contraceptive failure rates (CFRs) derived from the 1988 and 1995 National Survey of Family Growth and pregnancy rates from the National Vital Statistics System. We calculated weighted-average CFRs (WACFR) and used the annual rate of change in the WACFR and sexual activity to estimate their relative contributions to the annual change in risk of pregnancy. Weighted least-squares regression in SUDAAN was used to test change over time. RESULTS: Between 1991 and 2001, annual rates of change in sexual behaviors were -1.7% for sexual experience and -1.6% for the WACFR. Improvements in WACFR resulted primarily from a decline in use of withdrawal (from 20% to 13%) and use of no method (from 17% to 13%) and an increase in condom use (40% to 51%). Recent sexual intercourse (i.e., intercourse during the past 3 months among teens who had ever had intercourse) did not change over time. The change in the estimated risk of pregnancy closely approximated the annual decline in the pregnancy rates for blacks and Hispanics but underestimated the actual decline for whites. Overall, 53% of the decline in pregnancy rates can be attributed to decreased sexual experience (95%CI 26% to 79%) and 47% to improved contraceptive use (95%CI 21% to 74%). CONCLUSIONS: Use of school-based behavior data reflects well the pregnancy experience for school-age black and Hispanic adolescents, but does not track well with the pregnancy risk of white adolescents. Care should be taken in attributing changes in pregnancy rates to changes in behavior, given broad confidence intervals around these estimates. These data suggest that both delayed initiation of sexual intercourse and improved contraceptive practice contributed equally to declines in pregnancy rates among high school-aged teens during the 1990s; however, estimates varied among racial and ethnic groups.     

Young women requesting emergency contraception are, despite contraceptive counseling, a high risk group for new unintended pregnancies

Since its introduction in Sweden in 1994, emergency contraception has become a welcome addition to the campaign against unwanted pregnancy. In addition to an unplanned pregnancy, unprotected sexual intercourse may also involve the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The aim of this study was to assess the short- and long-term risk of unintended pregnancy and to determine the frequency of chlamydia infections in women receiving emergency contraception.Between September 1998 and February 1999 young women aged 15-25 years had the opportunity to obtain emergency contraception (Yuzpe method) at a youth clinic in the city of Orebro where the opening hours were extended to include Saturdays and Sundays. A follow-up visit 3 weeks after treatment, which included contraceptive counseling, was offered to all participants. At both visits, a pregnancy test and a chlamydia test were performed, and the women completed a questionnaire. After the initial visit, the young women where monitored for new pregnancies during the following 12 months.One pregnancy occurred in the 134 young women who received emergency contraception during the study period. None of the women had a positive chlamydia test. Of those requesting emergency contraception, 54% did so because no contraception was used, 32% because of a ruptured condom, 11% because of missed oral contraceptives (OC), and 5% had mixed reasons. At long-term follow-up 1 year after the initial visit, 10 of the 134 young women had experienced an unplanned pregnancy that terminated in legal abortion in 9 women. All these women had either started and terminated OC or had never commenced the prescribed OC.Young women who request emergency contraception are, despite a planned follow-up with contraceptive counseling, a high risk group for new unintended pregnancies. In Sweden they do not seem to be a high risk group for STD.     

Association between contraceptive discontinuation and pregnancy intentions in Guatemala

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether contraceptive discontinuation is associated with pregnancies that are conceived earlier than desired (mistimed) or are not wanted at the time of conception (unwanted). METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2002 Guatemala National Maternal and Child Health Survey. Pregnancies within the three years prior to and at the time of the survey (April 1999-November 2002) were classified as either "intended," "mistimed," or "unwanted." The key independent variable was whether the woman had used contraception within 12 months of the pregnancy and, for those who had used it, the reason for discontinuation (either to get pregnant or for another reason). A multinomial logistic analysis was used to determine the degree of association of discontinuation with pregnancy intentions. RESULTS: One of every five mistimed pregnancies and one of every six unwanted pregnancies followed discontinuations that were for reasons other than to become pregnant (e.g., contraceptive failure, side effects, and health concerns). Discontinuations for reasons other than to become pregnant were shown to be positively and significantly associated with a reported mistimed pregnancy (coefficient = 2.15; standard error = 0.27) or unwanted pregnancy (2.68; 0.37) compared to an intended pregnancy. Pregnancies preceded by discontinuations for reasons other than to become pregnant were also more likely to be reported as mistimed or unwanted than pregnancies of women who were not using contraception during the year prior to pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to increase contraceptive continuation. Any program should include an increased effort to reduce contraceptive failure and better address the side effects and the health concerns that women have that can lead to discontinuation. Non-users who want to delay or limit births should also be identified and targeted for outreach in order to reduce unintended pregnancies.     

Contraceptive experiences among adolescents who experience unintended birth

Background

Adolescents are at high risk of unintended pregnancy due to contraceptive nonuse and inconsistent use.

Study Design

We examined associations between contraception and mistimed/unwanted birth among adolescents. For contraceptive nonusers, we analyzed factors contributing to unintended birth.

Results

Half of adolescents with unintended births did not use contraception at conception. Those ambivalent about pregnancy reported fewer unwanted [relative risk (RR)=0.06] compared to wanted births. Amongst contraceptive nonusers, difficulty accessing birth control was the only factor associated with more unwanted birth (RR=3.05). For Black adolescents, concerns of side effects (RR=7.03), access issues (RR=10.95) and perceived sterility (RR=3.20) were associated with unwanted birth. For younger teens, falsely perceived subfertility increased unwanted birth (RR=2.74), whereas access issues were significant for older teens (RR=3.97).

Conclusions

Access issues and misconceptions around contraceptive side effects and fertility place adolescents at higher risk for unintended pregnancy, especially among younger and Black teens. Ambivalence represents an additional area for intervention.     

北京市未婚人工流产女青年避孕知识、态度、行为的调查研究

目的：研究未婚人工流产（人流）女青年的避孕知识,态度、行为以及影响避孕行为的因素。方法：以Lawrence的PROCEDE-pROCEED健康促进计划模式为基础的调查问卷,对306例自愿要求人工流产,年龄在18－24岁的未婚女青年进行断面的调查。结果：近12个月以来,仅有13％和女青地持每次性行为都使用避孕方法,偶尔使用和从未使用者的比例分别为26％和275,在224例曾经用过避孕方法的女青年中,最常用的方法分别是避孕套（495）、体外排精（285）、安全期（165）,在从未使用任何避孕方法的女青年中,735认为没想到会怀孕是最主要的不避孕的原因。logistic 逐步回归分析显示,女青年对避孕知识的了解,对意外妊娠风险的认识,男友对避孕方法使用的态度。与男友讨论避孕方法,对占孕服务可及性的感受是影响女 年既往避孕行为的主要因素,结论亟需对未婚青年开展有关避孕知识的性教育,提高对意外妊娠风险和人工并发症的认识促进男性积极参与避孕,加强性伴侣之间有关避孕方法的交流。     

Contraceptive failure in the first two years of use: differences across socioeconomic subgroups

CONTEXT: While differences in levels of contraceptive use across socioeconomic subgroups of women have narrowed greatly over time, large disparities remain in rates of unintended pregnancy. One reason is variations in the effectiveness with which women and their partners use contraceptive methods. METHODS: Data on contraceptive use and accidental pregnancy from the 1988 and 1995 National Surveys of Family Growth were corrected for abortion underreporting and pooled for analysis. Use-failure rates were estimated for reversible methods during the first year, second year and first two years of use, for subgroups of women of various characteristics. RESULTS: The average failure rate for all reversible methods, adjusted for abortion underreporting, declines from 13% to 8% from the first year of method use to the second year. First-year failure rates are highest among women using spermicides, withdrawal and periodic abstinence (on average, 23-28% in the first year), and lowest for women relying on long-acting methods and oral contraceptives (4-8%). On average, they exceed 10% for all users except women aged 30-44, married women and women in the highest poverty-status category. The chance of accidental pregnancy does not differ significantly between method users younger than 18 and those aged 18-19. CONCLUSION: Both user and method characteristics determine whether contraceptive users will be able to avoid unintended pregnancy. Family planning providers should help clients to identify methods that they are most likely to use successfully, and counsel them on how to be consistent users and to avoid behaviors that contribute to method failure.     

Use effectiveness of a spermicidal suppository containing benzalkonium chloride

A multicentric trial in 9 Spanish Clinics of Family Planning was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a vaginal contraceptive Ovule (suppository), containing 18.9 mg of benzalkonium chloride. Gynaecological and cytobacteriological examinations were made to evaluate any possible side-effect. Six-hundred-fifty-three women at risk of unwanted pregnancy accepted the method as the only contraception during 9,517 months. The results are expressed in life-tables (Tietze-Lewit). Net cumulative first segment rate at 12 months were: terminations 27.2; pregnancy 3.7; medical reason 2.3; planned pregnancy 2.8; other personal reasons 18.4. At 24 months the rates were: terminations 34.1; pregnancy 3.7; medical reason 2.6; planned pregnancy 6.5; personal reasons 21.3. Error or failure to use the spermicide resulted in 12 of 23 pregnancies (52%), while in another 4 pregnancies (17%) there were reasonable elements of doubt concerning its correct use. There were no gynaecological or cytological changes. We conclude that this product is a safe and very effective contraceptive if used according to the prescribed instructions and before any sexual encounter.     

Continuation rates of Implanon in the UK: data from an observational study in a clinical setting

BACKGROUND: Long-acting reversible methods of contraception can potentially reduce unintended pregnancy. There are few data on "real-life" continuation rates of the contraceptive implant Implanon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred twenty-four women choosing Implanon in a community family planning clinic in Scotland were followed up by case note review (n=236) or postal questionnaire (n=87) 3 years after insertion of the implant (1 woman chose not to disclose her home address). RESULTS: Data were available for 85% of the women. Continuation rates were 89% (CI 84-91) at 6 months, 75% (CI 69-79) at 1 year, 59% (CI 52-63) at 2 years and 47% (CI 40-52) at 2 years and 9 months. Of the 68 women who discontinued Implanon within 1 year, 62 (91%) did so because of unwanted side effects, the most common being frequent and/or unpredictable bleeding (n=42, 62%). Almost half changed to a less-effective method of contraception; however, one third (n=99, 39%) chose to use a second implant when the first one expired. CONCLUSIONS: Continuation rates of Implanon in this clinic setting in the UK make it a cost-effective method of contraception and justify its widespread provision.