Long-Lasting Birth Control Cuts Pregnancy Rate

A Gynecology Specialists note: An important new study on long-acting forms of contraception was released and reported on by the media, including a Wall Street Journal article by Jennifer Corbett Dooren. Drs. Leao, Long and Ryder agree with the main points of the study. Our in-office care includes implants, the 3-month shot, and IUDs. If you have questions about your birth control choices, please call us at (757) 312-8221.

What the study found

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and involving about 7,500 women in the Contraceptive Choice project at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, confirmed that long-acting forms of contraception such as intrauterine devices and implants are far better than birth control pills and patches at preventing pregnancies — about 20 times more effective, because they eliminate the human-error factor of daily or weekly use.

Pregnancy (failure) rates among participants who used the pill, patch, or ring were 4.8%, 7.8% and 9.4% in years one, two and three of the study, while failure rates for those using IUDs, implants, or the three-month hormone shot were all below 1% during the same period. As the lead researcher put it, if there were a drug for cancer, heart disease or diabetes that was 20 times more effective, doctors would recommend it first.

The article noted the practical considerations too: hormonal implants are inserted under the skin of the upper arm and last three years, IUDs last five or ten years depending on the type, both can be removed if a woman wants to try to become pregnant (with fertility returning immediately in most women), and both require an office procedure that can cost several hundred dollars if not covered by insurance. Experts quoted suggested long-acting methods are an excellent option for young women who don’t want to become pregnant for several years, while a woman planning pregnancy soon might reasonably choose a shorter-acting method.

If you have questions about contraception, IUDs, hormonal implants, birth control, or your contraceptive choices, please contact our GYN clinic at (757) 312-8221. Our GYN doctors are here to help you.