In the proposed study, women aged 18-29 seeking oral or injectable contraception will be offered an opportunity to try LARC instead; the FDA-approved options include two types of intrauterine products and one type of subdermal contraceptive implant. Over a 24 month period, the experiences of LARC users will be compared to the experiences of those opting for their initial short-acting method.
In this partially randomized patient preference study, women aged 18-29 seeking oral or injectable contraception will be offered an opportunity to try LARC instead; the FDA-approved options include two types of intrauterine products and one type of subdermal contraceptive implant. Over a 24-month period, the experiences of LARC users will be compared to the experiences of those opting for their initial short-acting method. It is expected that 38% of the participants using short-acting methods will stop using them during the first year and be at risk of unintended pregnancy. In contrast, less than 20% of LARC users will want to have their contraceptive removed. Continuation rates will be measured and pregnancies will be tallied in the two groups to document any differences that emerge.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
916
Injectable contraceptive, containing 150 mg depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and marketed in the US as Depo-Provera® or containing 104 mg DMPA and marketed as Depo-SubQ Provera 104®.
Oral contraceptives (any variety of formulations are permitted)
Subdermal contraceptive implant, marketed in the US as Implanon® or Nexplanon® (containing 68 mg of etonogestrel)
Planned Parenthood Central North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Contraceptive Method Discontinuation
Time frame: 24 months
Unintended Pregnancy
Intent-to-treat principles applied.
Time frame: 24 months
Participant Attitudes to LARC vs SARC
Level of happiness with initial method (% distribution)
Time frame: 24 months
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Intrauterine device marketed in the US as ParaGard® (a T-shaped plastic device containing 380mm2 of copper surface)
Intrauterine system, marketed in the US as Mirena® (containing 52 mg of levonorgestrel)