CONTINUATION RATES OF LONG-ACTING METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF NORPLANT(R) IMPLANTS AND INTRAUTERINE-DEVICES

Following adverse widespread publicity in the United Kingdom and the U nited States, it is commonly believed that discontinuation rates for t he contraceptive implants Norplant(R) in the UK are high. We have comp ared discontinuation rates between new intrauterine device (IUD) users (253 women) and new Norplant implant users (502 women) over 33 months following the introduction of Norplant implants among a population of women attending the same clinic and counseled in the same manner by t he same group of providers. Women choosing the IUD were slightly older and were more likely to be changing their contraceptive method becaus e of dissatisfaction with their current method. Norplant implant users were more likely to have completed their families. Continuation rates for Norplant implants were significantly higher than for IUD at 12, 1 8, and 24 months after insertion. At 24 months, continuation rates for Norplant implants were 72% compared with rates of 55% for IUD users. Higher continuation rates may be related more to factors associated wi th the providers than with the users of these two long-acting methods. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.