Menu

An expert resource for medical professionals
Provided FREE as a service to women’s health

The Alliance for
Global Women’s Medicine
A worldwide fellowship of health professionals working together to
promote, advocate for and enhance the Welfare of Women everywhere

An Educational Platform for FIGO

The Global Library of Women’s Medicine
Clinical guidance and resourses

A vast range of expert online resources. A FREE and entirely CHARITABLE site to support women’s healthcare professionals

The Global Academy of Women’s Medicine
Teaching, research and Diplomates Association

Contraception. 2013 May 23. pii: S0010-7824(13)00259-X. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2013.05.009. [Epub ahead of print]

One-year continuation of the etonogestrel contraceptive implant in women with postabortion or interval placement

Mark A, Sonalkar S, Borgatta L
Ipas, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: marka@ipas.org

BACKGROUND: Our study investigated whether women with etonogestrel implant placement in the immediate postabortion period have similar continuation rates to women with interval placement.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study of women at Boston Medical Center. We compared 1-year continuation rates in women who had immediate postabortion placement to interval placement using Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS: One hundred five women were enrolled, 53 in the abortion and 52 in the interval group. There were two losses to follow-up leaving 103 women for analysis. The overall 1-year continuation rate was 74.8%, with 68.6% postabortion continuation and 80.8% interval continuation. The risk of discontinuation in women with postabortion placement was higher but not statistically different than women with interval placement (unadjusted hazard ratio: 1.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.81-3.96).

CONCLUSION: Overall etonogestrel implant continuation was acceptable with similar rates for postabortion and interval placement. For women who want a contraceptive implant after an abortion, immediate placement should be available.

Comment: If a woman wants long acting, reversable contraception when she comes for an abortion, there is no need to wait with the placement until the follow up visit. (HMV)