Three years' experience with levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device and Norplant-2 implants: a randomized comparative study

Abstract

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.