This study will evaluate LNG-IUD and Etonogestrel (ENG) Implant users who are willing to use their contraception beyond the end of the FDA-approved duration. ENG Implant users will also be offered to participate in an arm of the study that will randomize them to either keeping their implant in or having it removed and replaced with a new implant. Participants will be followed for up to three years.
This prospective cohort study will evaluate 675 LNG-IUD users and 675 Etonogestrel (ENG) Implant users who are within 6 months of expiration or beyond the end of the FDA-approved duration. Participants will be contacted via telephone and either scheduled to enroll in person or be mailed the consent form before participation in the EPIC study. After the signed consent form is obtained, participants will also be asked to complete a brief telephone or in-person questionnaire on sociodemographic, medical and reproductive history, sexual and contraceptive history, history of unintended pregnancy and substance abuse. During the informed consent process, implant users will also be offered to participate in an arm of the study that will randomize them (if they consent) to either keeping their subdermal implant in or have it removed and replaced with a new subdermal implant. The randomized control trial subset allows us to compare effectiveness to that of a new implant. It also allows us to assess "other contraceptive use" (e.g. condom use) in both groups. Participants will also be asked if they are interested in providing a blood sample for analysis of etonogestrel assay levels at baseline enrollment and annually. If Follow-up phone interviews will occur every 6 months for 36 months beyond the expiration of their method. The investigators will attempt to validate all pregnancy outcomes with medical chart reviews.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
1,076
Subdermal arm implant
Indiana University
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, United States
Effectiveness
Our primary aim is to test the absolute and relative effectiveness of both the LNG-IUD and the ENG implant in a non-inferiority (equivalence) study comparing failure rates of these methods in the 3 years post-FDA approved duration to the failure rates during the first three years.
Time frame: Three years
Unintended pregnancy rates
The contraceptive failure (unintended pregnancy) rates for the LNG-IUD and ENG implant users at 12, 24, and 36 months (after FDA-approved duration of use: 5 years for LNG IUD and 3 years for the ENG implant) of the contraceptive method will be compared to those for CHC users.
Time frame: Three years
Time to contraceptive failure
we will use Kaplan-Meier curves to describe the distribution of time to contraceptive failure for the LNG-IUD and ENG implant users compared to combined hormonal contraceptive users (control).
Time frame: Three years
Randomized trial analysis
An identical analysis will be performed using the "intention-to-treat" principle (i.e. analyze the participant according to the assigned group as determined by randomization).
Time frame: Three years
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