Quick Start of Highly Effective Contraception

Overview

This project will quantify rates of contraceptive failure when unprotected intercourse occurs 6-14 days prior to initiation of highly effective reversible contraceptives (such as IUD's and Implants).

Women seeking emergency contraception (EC) frequently report multiple recent episodes of unprotected sex. Although high sensitivity urine pregnancy tests effectively rule-out pregnancy resulting from sex that occurred more than 14 days ago, clinicians are frequently concerned that pregnancy may result from unprotected sex that occurred \<14 days prior to IUD placement. Placement of a copper IUD within 5 days of unprotected sex is a highly effective form of EC. Among 52 Chinese women who reported unprotected intercourse 5-7 days prior to copper IUD insertion, no pregnancies occurred. However, the effectiveness of the copper IUD when unprotected sex occurs 7-14 days prior to IUD placement is unknown. Intrauterine pregnancies rarely occur with a copper IUD in place. As some clinicians are concerned about injuring a pregnancy that occurs with an IUD in place, women who have had unprotected sex 7-14 days prior to requesting IUD placement are typically told they must use another, less effective, contraceptive for 2+ weeks and then return to obtain an IUD. To remove this barrier to emergency placement of a copper IUD, we propose to study rates of pregnancy when a copper IUD is placed "any time a urine pregnancy test is negative." We believe that simplifying guidance regarding the recommended timing of copper IUD placement has the potential to significantly increase the number of women offered "same-day" IUD service.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes