Immediate postabortal contraception with the levonorgestrel intrauterine device, Norplant, and traditional methods

Women seeking legal first trimester abortion were counseled concerning cont raception methods available for use immediately postabortion. Fifty women e ach accepted hormonal methods that were available only in the clinic and we re novel to the country, the levonorgestrel IUD and Norplant implants, wher eas another 50 chose either coitus interruptus or abstinence. All were expe rienced contraceptors, but larger percentages of women selecting the levono rgestrel IUD or implants had used the pill or IUDs previously, were under a ge 30, and weighed less than 60 kg compared to the other:study participants . In the initial 2-6 weeks postabortion, women using the long-acting hormon al methods resumed sexual activity earlier,and experienced more bleeding an d spotting days than did other study participants, but their hematocrits we re not adversely affected. No clinically significant side effects were note d in any group in the 6 weeks following the abortion. At the end of I year of follow-up, women using the hormonal methods had experienced no pregnanci es and had high rates of continuation. IUD and implant participants had gre ater weight gain than did the other participants, but their mean weight rem ained below that of participants using traditional methods. No significant between-group differences in levels or changes in levels from admission wer e noted in hematocrit and blood pressure. The women found the levonorgestre l implants and IUDs easy and safe to use and highly effective. Bleeding dis turbances, including amenorrhea, were the principal features the women disl iked. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.