title: Experience with Norplant at a Nigerian teaching hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the acceptance of Norplant implants while it was in use and share our experience with other Norplant providers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The family planning clinic of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 21-year period, January 1985 to December 2005, a total of eighteen thousand, two hundred and ninety one (18,291) new clients accepted various modern contraceptive methods in the family planning clinic of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Norplant was accepted by 1,333 clients (4.9%) as against the intrauterine devices (IUDs) 25.4%, and Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCP) 22.9%. Female sterilisation was a contraceptive method of choice in 21.2%, the injectables in 13.9%, and the male condom in 9.3%. Failure rate was 0.37% and continuity rate was high among users. The Norplant contraceptive implant was accepted by women of mean age of 29.6 years and women of all parity. The acceptance pattern demonstrated a multi-nodal pattern from the time of introduction in 1985 to December 2005 when supply came to an abrupt stop. The greatest barriers to Norplant use were non- availability and high cost of the commodity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Norplantimplants provided contraceptive protection with high reliability, safety, independence from user compliance, rapid return of pre-existing fertility after removal, good tolerability, and relatively simple and quick insertion and removal. The capsules will definitely be used as a reference for similar contraceptive products in the contraceptive market.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
authors: J T
authors: JT
authors: Mutihir
authors: A O
authors: AO
authors: Aisien
authors: I A O
authors: IA
authors: Ujah
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D016912:Levonorgestrel / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D016912:Levonorgestrel