The intrauterine device in modern contraception: Still an actuality?

Pain at insertion of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system in nulligravida and parous women with and without cesarean section

BACKGROUND

Despite the high contraceptive effectiveness and noncontraceptive benefits of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in nulligravidas, there are still concerns related to the use of this device. Pain at insertion is one of the limitations to the increased use of intrauterine contraceptives. The aim of the study was to evaluate the ease of insertion and occurrence of pain at insertion of the LNG-IUS in nulligravidas (women who never became pregnant) compared to parous women with and without cesarean section (c-section). We also assessed the difficulty at insertion in each group.

METHODS

Three groups of new acceptors of the LNG-IUS were studied: one with 23 nulligravida women, one with 28 parous women who had undergone at least one c-section and one with 23 parous women who had no previous c-section. Pain at insertion was evaluated by using a pain visual analogue score (VAS). The ease of insertion was defined as easy or difficult by health care providers (HCPs) and classified according to the cause of difficulty: tight cervix, anatomically distorted uterus or pain.

RESULTS

Almost all women reported pain at insertion, regardless of parity and form of delivery. The mean VAS was 6.6 for nulligravida women, 5.2 for parous women with c-section and 5.9 for parous women with no c-section. Although 93% of the women reported pain at insertion, they also reported a willingness to insert a new LNG-IUS again if needed. The most common difficulties were a tight cervix in nulligravidas, an anatomically distorted uterus in parous women with c-section and pain in parous women without c-section. There was no failure of insertion in any group. HCPs reported that it was easier to perform insertion in parous women who had undergone only vaginal deliveries than nulligravid women or parous women with a prior c-section.

CONCLUSIONS

Although almost all women reported pain at insertion, they also reported a willingness to insert a new LNG-IUS if needed. This attitude reflects high satisfaction with the LNG-IUS. The type of difficulty at insertion was related to parity and type of delivery. The LNG-IUS was able to be inserted in all women; however, it was easier to do in parous women without c-section than nulligravid women or those with a prior C-section.

Intrauterine contraceptive device migration presenting as abdominal wall swelling: a case report

A number of complications are reported with the use of intrauterine contraceptive devices. These may pursue asymptomatic course or present as an acute abdomen after migration into peritoneal cavity. The authors here are reporting an abdominal wall swelling caused by transuterine migration of a copper intrauterine contraceptive device in a 28-year-old female. An open approach was used, and impacted foreign body was retrieved.

Comparative cost-effectiveness of three intrauterine devices: a multi-center randomized trial

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relative cost-effectiveness of three intrauterine devices (IUDs), MLCu375, TCu380A, and YuangongCu365.

METHODS

Cost-effectiveness of three IUDs, namely MLCu375, TCu380A, and YuangongCu365, was analyzed from the provider's perspective by means of a randomized trial with one-year follow-up carried out in six centers in China.

RESULTS

YuangongCu 365 had the lowest termination and pregnancy rates (4.17% and 0.54%, respectively), followed by TCu380A (8.59% and 1.11%, respectively) and MLCu375 (14.17% and 2.04%, respectively). YuangongCu365 was more effective yet more costly than the MLCu375. There was a favorably dominating trend of cost-effectiveness for TCu380A comparing with MLCu375 when taking continuation rate as the effectiveness indicator, but there was no difference in cost-effectiveness between the two IUDs when using the pregnancy avoidance rate as the effectiveness measure.

CONCLUSIONS

TCu380A is slightly more cost-effective than the MLCu375. YuangongCu365 is the most effective of the three devices and be used provided it is economically affordable. The comparative long-term safety and cost-effectiveness of these devices need to be further investigated.

Reproductive health in women with systemic lupus erythematosus compared to population controls

OBJECTIVE

To study the reproductive health history in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared to population controls.

METHODS

A total of 206 female SLE patients were interviewed regarding demographic and disease data, menstruation, use of contraception and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), infertility, and pregnancies. The control group consisted of 1037 women from the general population of similar age and socioeconomic status living in the same region.

RESULTS

In SLE women compared to population controls, mean age at menarche (13.3 vs. 13.2 years) and frequency of infertility (16% vs. 16%) were similar but menopause occurred earlier (44.9 vs. 46.8 years, p = 0.01). Current use of oral contraceptives (OCs) was less common than in controls [18% vs. 28%, odds ratio (OR) 0.55, 95% CI 0.3-1.0] while previous use of progesterone-containing intrauterine devices (IUDs) was more common (13% vs. 5%, OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.9-5.4). Current use of HRT was similar (22% vs. 21%) but SLE patients had started the use earlier (43.2 vs. 47.1 years, p = 0.003). Mean number of pregnancies was lower in SLE patients compared to controls (2.3 vs. 2.5, p = 0.046) and in lupus nephritis patients compared to SLE patients without nephritis (1.9 vs. 2.5, p = 0.01). No difference was found in the occurrence of spontaneous and induced abortions compared to controls, but pregnancy-associated complications were more common in SLE women.

CONCLUSION

When compared to population controls women with SLE are normally fertile, use less OCs and more IUDs, have earlier menopause and use HRT as frequently. Family size is reduced, especially in lupus nephritis patients, and pregnancy-associated complications are more common.

Exocervical pregnancy in a patient with intrauterine device: a case report

Cervical pregnancy (CP) is a rare and life-threatening ectopic pregnancy characterized by implantation of the fertilized ovum into the cervix, whereas exocervical pregnancy is an extremely rare CP with implantation of the fertilized ovum on the exocervix. Possible causative factors of CP such as tubal dysfunction, impaired sperm motility, previous uterine surgery, or the use of intrauterine device were not clearly associated with the development of CP until now. Diagnosis of CP is usually established by ultrasonography and by beta-human chorionic gonadotropin serum tests, but definitive diagnosis is by histologic examination. Current treatment strategies of CP, which were described in some reports, involve: medical treatment with methotrexate, surgical removal of ectopic trophoblastic tissues, cervical cerclage and vaginal packing, ligation of descending branches of uterine arteries or hypogastric arteries, and unilateral internal iliac artery embolization. We report a case of exocervical pregnancy contemporary to intrauterine device normally inserted, diagnosed by colposcopy, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, and histology, and treated by a local excision without using methotrexate chemotherapy.