Three years' experience with levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device and Norplant-2 implants: a randomized comparative study.
A randomized comparative study of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) and Norplant-2 implants was carried out in 200 women for 36 months. Three thousand one hundred woman-months of use were observed with each device. Only one pregnancy occurred in users of LNG-IUD at the 12th month of use. The change in bleeding pattern was the most frequent reason for discontinuation. The discontinuation rate for irregular bleeding with Norplant-2 was 17.3 and 26.8 at 24 and 36 months, respectively, as compared to 3.3 with LNG-IUD at both 24 and 36 months. The differences were statistically significant. Removal for amenorrhea and pain only occurred in acceptors of LNG-IUD. About 20-40% of women using Norplant-2 had prolonged bleeding through 36 months. The percentage of amenorrhea in LNG-IUD was the highest (29.3%) at the end of two years of use. More than 97% of subjects reported satisfaction with the methods used by themselves.
Wang
S L
SL
National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China.
Wu
S C
SC
Xin
X M
XM
Chen
J H
JH
Gao
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000209:etiology; D003267:Contraception; D004343:Drug Implants; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007436:Intrauterine Devices, Medicated / Q000009:adverse effects; D016912:Levonorgestrel; D015993:Life Tables; D008598:Menstruation / Q000187:drug effects; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy
D004343:Drug Implants; D016912:Levonorgestrel