Sociodemographic comparison between copper and levonorgestrel (LNG-IUS) IUD users

Posted August 30, 2021

A study conducted by the INCT Hormona team at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) compared sociodemographic characteristics of women who use copper intrauterine devices (Cu-IUD) or levonorgestrel intrauterine systems (LNG-IUS) as contraceptive methods. The study, titled “Major differences in the characteristics of users of the copper intrauterine device or levonorgestrel intrauterine system at a clinic in Campinas, Brazil,” was conducted by Dr. Luis Bahamondes, a member of the INCT Hormona’s Management Committee. Two scholarship holders from Haiti, Montas Laporta and Sherley Metelus, who were funded by the Organization of American States, also took part in it.

The study, Bahamondes says, analyzed retrospective data, comparing two periods: first, when only Cu-IUDs were available (between 1979 and 2006), and second, when both types of IUD were available at Unicamp’s outpatient clinic (between 2007 and 2019).

According to Bahamondes, 31,385 insertions of contraceptive devices were analyzed: 19,169 Cu-IUD insertions (17,156 between 1979 and 2006, and 2,013 between 2007 and 2019) and 12,216 SIU-LNG insertions (between 2007 and 2019). “We observed that, until 2006, the copper IUD was mainly preferred by women with no children, younger than 40 years, and with lower educational levels. However, when the SIU-LNG was introduced, the sociodemographic characteristics changed significantly”, explains Dr. Bahamondes. He says that “comparing the periods of 1979-2006 and 2007-2019, the new SIU-LNG users were older than 40 years, had lower educational levels, and had no children.”

According to Dr. Luis Bahamondes, the data showed that introducing the SIU-LNG has changed the profile of intrauterine contraception users and is an excellent opportunity to increase IUD use.

The full article is available at: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ijgo.13716