Contraception
Helping your patients make the right choice
With rising abortion rates, particularly among women aged 30–34, there is a clear need to offer the most effective contraceptive methods.1 In a quantitative survey of over 430 women and their experiences of unintended pregnancy and abortion, over half were using contraception at the time they became pregnant.2 Long-acting methods can be the most effective form of contraception because they do not rely on user compliance.3
Here you will find resources to guide conversations with your patients, helping to identify which is the most suitable contraception for them.
- Department of Health. Abortion statistics, England and Wales: 2016/2017. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/abortion-statistics-for-england-and-wales-2017. Last accessed: October 2019.
- Bury, Louise; Hoggart, Lesley and Newton, Victoria Louise (2015). Young women’s experiences of unintended pregnancy and abortion: key findings. The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. Available at: https://oro.open.ac.uk/45138/1/MSI_key-findings_10-15_email.pdf. Last accessed: October 2019.
- Cristobal I, et al. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2015;190:58–64.
Pill compliance is a common struggle for women1
For every 100 women that choose to take the pill this year, nine could become pregnant due to missed-pill moments.2 Long-acting methods such as intrauterine systems (IUS) offer birth control with the highest available efficacy and are one of the most effective contraceptive methods because their effectiveness is independent of user compliance.3
- Merki-Feld GS, et al. Eur J Contracep Reprod Health Care 2018:183–193.
- NHS. How effective is contraception at preventing pregnancy? - Your contraception guide [online]. Updated 30 June 2017. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/how-effective-contraception/ [Last accessed: November 2019].
- Cristobal I, et al. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2015;190:58–64.
Choose an IUS that best meets her needs
| Jaydess®▼1 13.5 mg intrauterine delivery system (levonorgestrel) |
Kyleena®2 19.5 mg intrauterine delivery system (levonorgestrel) |
Mirena®3 52 mg intrauterine delivery system (levonorgestrel) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Indication | Contraception for up to 3 years | Contraception for up to 5 years | Contraception for up to 5 years Treatement of HMB for up to 5 years endometrial protection during HRT for 4 years |
| Pearl Index (efficacy) | Year 1:0.41 3-years: 0:33 |
Year 1: 0.16 5-years: 0.29 |
Year 1: 0.2 Years 5: 0.144 |
| Contraceptive failure rate | 0.4% at 1 year 0.9% over 3 years |
0.2% at 1 year 1.4% over 5 years |
0.2% at 1 year 0.7% over 5 years |
| Total levonorgestrel (LNG) content (mg) | 13.5 | 19.5 | 52 |
| Average in vivo LNG release rate over the first year of use | 8 μg/24 hours | 12.6 μg/24 hours2 | 20 μg/24 hours |
| % of women experiencing amenorrhoea and infrequent bleeding at 1 year post insertion | Amenorrhoea: 6% infrequent bleeding: 20% |
Amenorrhoea: 12% infrequent bleeding: 26% |
Amenorrhoea: 16% infrequent bleeding: 57% |
| T-frame size (mm) | 28 × 30 | 28 × 30 | 32 × 324 |
| Placement tube diameter size (mm) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
| Colour of monofilament threads | Brown | Blue | Brown |
| Differentiator in imaging techniques:silver ring | Improved visibility on ultrasound | Improved visibility on ultrasound | - |
- Bayer Plc. Jaydess®▼13.5 mg intrauterine delivery system (levonorgestrel): Summary of Product Characteristics [online]. Updated 12 June 2019. Available from: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/5297/smpc [Last accessed: September 2019].
- Bayer Plc. Kyleena® 19.5 mg intrauterine delivery system (levonorgestrel): Summary of Product Characteristics [online]. Updated 02 May 2019. Available from: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/769/smpc [Last accessed: September 2019].
- Bayer Plc. Mirena® 52 mg intrauterine delivery system (levonorgestrel): Summary of Product Characteristics [online]. Updated 17 October 2019. Available from: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/1132/smpc [Last accessed: August 2019].
- Bayer Plc. Mirena® 52 mg intrauterine delivery system (levonorgestrel): Product Information. Bayer Australia. Updated 11 October 2018.
Patient misconceptions are a common reason why IUS are not more widely used, despite being one of the most effective contraceptive methods available.1
Counsel your patients’ concerns around IUS with these common myth busters
