Vaginal discharge: a perceived side effect and minor reason for discontinuation in hormonal injectable users in South Africa

Abstract

Poor compliance and high discontinuation rates have been observed in users of injectable hormonal contraception in South Africa. The objective of this study was to assess the side effects and reasons for discontinuation in new users of both depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and norethisterone oenanthate (NET-EN). One hundred and eighty nine women were recruited into a two-year follow-up study. At each visit for a repeat injection, users were asked about bleeding patterns and side effects. Vaginal discharge, often described as watery in consistency, was perceived to be a problem amongst women and their partners. In total, one fifth (20%) of women reported an increase in discharge during use of the method and three women cited this discharge to be the primary reason for discontinuation of the method. This side effect was mainly noted in the first few months of use. Health care providers believed that this was a side effect of both DMPA and NET-EN, and women who presented with this complaint were rarely investigated for presence of sexually transmitted diseases.